Srinagar Sep 19: Over 25 ex-militants, separatists, and members of the banned Jamiat-e-Islami (JeI) are participating in the ongoing assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of the region.
These candidates include former prominent separatist leaders such as Zaffar Habib Dar, Syed Saleem Geelani, Javid Hubbi, and Aga Muntazir Mehdi. Additionally, ex-militants like former JKLF commander Farooq Ahmad Dar, along with several JeI members, are also running for various assembly seats.
The banned Jamiat-e-Islami has strategically fielded candidates around 15 constituencies. This includes Pulwama, Kulgam, Zainapora, and Devsar in south Kashmir, as well as Beerwah, Langate, Bandipora, Baramulla, Sopore, and Rafiabad in the north. Among the prominent candidates is Talat Majid, Sayaar Ahmad, and Hafiz Mohammad, who are contesting despite the ban on the organization.
Zaffar Habib Dar, once a prominent separatist, is running under the J&K Apni Party banner. He believes that resolving the issues of Jammu and Kashmir lies in active participation in the democratic process. “We can solve problems only through the electoral process. Everyone should participate in the electoral process by casting their vote,” Dar said, signaling a notable departure from his previous stance.
Former militant Farooq Ahmad Dar, also known as Saifullah Farooq, is contesting on a Samajwadi Party ticket from the Habba Kadal constituency. Farooq, who joined the insurgency in 1989 and received arms training in Pakistan, now regrets his decision. “That time everyone picked up the gun. We were misguided by Pakistan agents in Kashmir,” he told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
After a year of militancy, he surrendered to the police and spent nearly five years in jail. Farooq, who previously contested municipal elections on a BJP ticket in 2019, now appeals to voters for support, emphasizing his opposition to Pakistan’s interference in Kashmir.
As per KINS, Sayaar Ahmad, a member of the banned JeI, explained that their absence from the electoral process since the 1987 elections was due to alleged rigging. “We never called for a poll boycott. We stayed away from elections as there was rigging in the 1987 assembly elections in which Jamiet-e-Islami candidates were also contesting,” Sayaar said, stressing that participating in elections is now viewed as the only way to resolve the region’s long-standing issues. (KINS)
