NEW DELHI – Abdul Sheikh Rashid, the jailed Member of Parliament and head of the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party, spoke out strongly against the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam in a rare appearance in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. He also urged the government and the opposition to put the needs and feelings of the people of Kashmir first.
Rashid is now in Delhi’s Tihar Jail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He took part in a debate about “Operation Sindoor,” India’s military reaction to the April 22 Pahalgam incident.
The Baramulla MP said, “What happened in Pahalgam was the murder of humanity,” stressing how deeply Kashmiris mourned the loss. “When it comes to condemning the attack and the feelings of the families, Kashmiris know what the loss means to each family of the Pahalgam tragedy.” More than 80,000 people have died in Kashmir since 1989.
The Pahalgam incident, which occurred on April 22, 2025, at the beautiful hill station, targeted visitors and killed 26 individuals, most of whom were Hindu tourists. People say it was one of the bloodiest attacks on civilians in India since the bombings in Mumbai in 2008. Amit Shah, the Home Minister, told the Lok Sabha recently that “Operation Mahadev” on the outskirts of Srinagar had killed the three Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who were responsible for the attack.
Rashid said in his speech that the first step in fighting terrorism is to win the hearts and minds of Kashmiris. “Today, everyone wants to know where those militants are.” What was LG up to? I’m not here to support anyone. I’m not on either side. I came from a place near the LOC. To stop militancy and bring peace to Kashmir, you need to win the hearts of the people there first. He said, “Since yesterday, none of the leaders have talked about Kashmiris.” He also seemed to be alluding about President Trump’s contentious assertions that he helped bring about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan when he said, “Everyone is talking about Trump.” The key to solving the Kashmir conflict lies with the Hindus and Muslims of Kashmir, not with Trump. It is not a matter of community, but of politics.”
A Delhi trial judge gave Rashid detention release from July 24 to August 4, which let him go to Parliament during the Monsoon Session. But he had to pay for his own travel and security arrangements as part of his release. His son, Abrar Rashid, said that the family paid a shocking ₹144,795 to the jail authorities for a single day’s trip to the Parliament on Tuesday.
“People paid the money in advance only to go to a meeting to talk about it. But what really moved me was how party workers and regular people banded together to raise this amount, giving whatever they could. “Abrar said that some people gave from their savings and others skipped their daily needs so that their representative’s voice could be heard in Parliament.” He emphasized how important it was for his father to be there, saying that the Baramulla area he represents was one of the hardest hit. Abrar also talked about how hard it is for the family to make ends meet. He said that his father’s salary as a member of parliament is their only source of income, which they use to pay for all their household and school costs.
Since 2019, Rashid, who is better known as “Engineer Rashid,” has been in Tihar Jail for allegedly supporting terrorism under the UAPA. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he beat the current Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, by more over 2 lakh votes to win the Baramulla seat. His request to have these travel fees waived is currently being heard by the Delhi High Court. The next hearing is set for July 31.