Srinagar: In a significant development on Wednesday, Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir expressed its readiness to engage in elections pending the Central government's lift of the ban, signalling a notable shift in stance.
The Ministry of Home Affairs imposed the ban on JeI in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370, branding it as "anti-national." Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Ghulam Qadir Wani, a member of JeI's panel, conveyed the organisation's position. Wani, a resident of Pulwama's Gussu area, highlighted JeI's recent participation in exercising voting rights during the Lok Sabha polls, including his own participation in the Srinagar Lok Sabha polls on May 13.
Wani said that JeI's intentions to compete in the forthcoming Assembly polls, underscore the group's enduring dedication to democratic processes. However, he stressed that the revocation of the ban imposed on it by the Centre was a prerequisite for their involvement, asserting that JeI would field its own candidates if the ban was revoked before the elections.
Wani elaborated on JeI's electoral priorities, emphasizing socio-religious reforms and efforts to combat drug abuse and moral degradation. Disclosing that JeI's Majlis-e Shoora, a key decision-making body, had convened to discuss electoral participation, Wani reaffirmed JeI's steadfast commitment to democratic principles.
Responding to queries about JeI's historical abstention from polls, Wani cited societal pressures and threats, underlining the organisation's adherence to collective decision-making processes.
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