The banned group Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) has recently announced that it is engaged in talks with the Centre and has expressed its willingness to contest elections if the ban on the Islamist organization is lifted in Jammu and Kashmir. This development comes ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to Srinagar.
JeI was banned in 2019 as an unlawful organization under the anti-terror law UAPA. It was widely seen as the driving force behind the separatist movement in Kashmir and an ideological mentor of the terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen.
Official sources have indicated that there is engagement with the group at some level, but there are no plans for a meeting between Jamat leaders and the Home Minister during his visit to Srinagar. Mr. Shah is expected to meet with leaders of several political groups and review the political situation in the Valley.
Ghulam Qadir Wani, a senior JeI leader, stated that the party is eager to participate in elections if the Centre lifts the ban. This decision reportedly has the backing of Jamaat’s Majlis-e-Shoora, the highest decision-making body of the group.
“We have the backing of Majlis-e-Shoora. The Shoora has taken a decision. Jamaat is an ideology, and we want to restore the Jamaat,” said Mr. Wani. “We want the ban on Jamaat to be lifted, and for that, we are engaged in talks with the Centre,” he added.
Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah has also called for the lifting of the ban on JeI following the group’s readiness to contest elections. Mr. Abdullah suggested that Jamaat should directly participate in polls instead of indirectly supporting other parties, as they have done in previous elections.
The shift in Jamaat’s stance, moving away from separatist ideology and towards mainstream politics, marks a significant development amid general elections in the region. Mr. Shah had previously noted that JeI and Hurriyat Conference, who previously did not believe in the Constitution, had participated in elections in Srinagar.
Sources By Agencies