Speaking on the occasion, Inam Un Nabi said that seven years of incarceration of an elected Member of Parliament without the trial reaching its logical conclusion was not merely a legal matter but a serious test of justice, constitutional values and human conscience.

 

“Er Rashid is not merely an accused. He is the democratically elected Member of Parliament from Baramulla, representing nearly 40 percent of Kashmir’s population. For seven long years, the democratic voice of his constituents has remained away from the people who elected him,” Inam said.

 

Making a humble and heartfelt appeal to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, Inam urged that Er Rashid’s bail plea be considered with compassion, urgency and constitutional fairness.

He said the judiciary has repeatedly emphasised the importance of personal liberty and the principle that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception.” “We are not questioning the judicial process. We have complete faith in the judiciary. Our only request is that justice must not be delayed, particularly when personal liberty is at stake,” he said.

 

Inam said that seven years cannot be returned to Er Rashid, his family or his constituents. “Seven years with his family cannot be restored, seven years of public service cannot be recovered and seven years of Parliamentary representation cannot be brought back,” he said.

 

He also stressed that the consequences of prolonged incarceration were not confined to Er Rashid alone. “The suffering is shared by lakhs of voters who placed their trust in their elected representative and whose voice has remained absent for seven years,” he said.

 

Referring to Article 21 of the Constitution, Inam said the right to life and personal liberty was a fundamental constitutional guarantee and that prolonged incarceration and delay in trial deserved the highest judicial consideration.

 

“We are not seeking any special privilege for Er Rashid. We seek equal justice, equal treatment and the protection of constitutional guarantees available to every citizen. Our appeal is not political. It is constitutional and humanitarian,” he said.

 

Major Development in the Case

 

Inam Un Nabi also highlighted what AIP described as a significant development in the proceedings concerning Er Rashid before the Court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

 

According to the proceedings of July 6, 2026, Mohammad Yasin Malik, while appearing through video conferencing, personally submitted before the Court that the investigating agency had wrongly implicated Engineer Rashid by attributing to him the identity of “Sheikh Abdul Rashid” mentioned in an alleged email.

 

The court proceedings record Yasin Malik as stating that there was another person named Sheikh Abdul Rashid associated with the JKLF and that the investigating agency had wrongly implicated Engineer Rashid in his place. Yasin Malik also submitted an affidavit in this regard, which the Court accepted on record and stated would be considered while passing orders on charge.

 

Inam said this development assumes considerable significance because the attribution of “Sheikh Abdul Rashid” to Engineer Rashid had been one of the allegations repeatedly relied upon against him. He said the Court record now contains a specific statement from the principal accused disputing that identification.

 

“For years, Er Rashid has maintained that the Sheikh Abdul Rashid referred to in the alleged communication was not him but another individual bearing the same name. Today, that very contention has been placed before the Court by Yasin Malik himself and has been supported through an affidavit taken on record,” Inam said.

 

He, however, made it clear that the final determination rests with the Court. “We are not pre-judging the matter. But if this position is ultimately accepted by the Court, it would seriously undermine one of the foundational allegations that has been repeatedly levelled against Er Rashid,” he said. The report records that such a finding could lend substantial support to Er Rashid’s long-standing contention that he was wrongly identified in relation to this aspect of the case.

 

Inam said the latest development further strengthens the need for the Court to examine the question of personal liberty, prolonged incarceration and the evidentiary basis of the allegations with the utmost sensitivity.

 

Concluding his appeal, Inam said While appealing to Chief Justice of India, Inam Un Nabi said “Let justice be timely. Let personal liberty receive the priority it deserves. Let the constitutional principle that bail is the rule and jail is the exception be meaningfully upheld. Let compassion, fairness and justice prevail.”

 

He also remembered Er Rashid’s family, who, he said, had endured seven years of separation, uncertainty and emotional hardship, and reiterated AIP’s faith in the Supreme Court of India and the Constitution of our country (India). (KNS)