Engineer Rashid's AIP, ex-JEI members join hands for J&K Assembly polls

In a significant political development, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) headed by Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer and former members of Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) have come together in a strategic alliance for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls.

"A joint meeting was held today in which the AIP delegation was led by AIP Supremo and chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, while the JEI delegation was led by Ghulam Qadir Wani. Prominent JEI members participated in the discussions," the AIP said in a statement.

Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir was banned by the Union Home Ministry in 2019. The ban was extended for another five years in February this year. Several influential leaders of Jamaat are contesting assembly polls as independent candidates.

An AIP spokesperson said the two sides agreed to work together in the larger interest of the region's population. The goal is to secure a resounding victory for AIP and JEI candidates, ensuring that the people of Jammu and Kashmir .