With a global positioning system (GPS) tracker anklet fitted to monitor his movement, Hafiz Mohammad Sikander Malik, a former leader of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, today filed his nomination papers from North Kashmir’s Bandipore district for the J&K Assembly elections.
Malik, who was former district president of the Jamaat-e-Islami, submitted his nomination papers to contest elections from the Bandipore Assembly seat. Malik, who filed his nomination papers on Thursday with a GPS anklet tagged to him, told The Tribune that if he was elected, he would work toward ending this practice.
“Though I am out of jail, I don’t even feel free today with a GPS anklet on,” he said. Malik said he spent nearly four years in jail after the abrogation of J&K’s special status in 2019.
Malik said he was kept in a police station on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections. “When I was released, I was fitted with a GPS anklet,” he said. GPS tracker, a small wearable device, is put on the ankle or arm of a person to monitor his/her activities.
Malik says he didn’t have enough resources to approach the Supreme Court. “I am hopeful that if I am elected, I will work on this issue as well.” He says he wants to serve people and has several issues on his priority list. “I want to make a girls’ college here and want to work in the education sector,” he said.
He said he also wanted to work for the youth, especially those who spent time in jail and were released after a long time after court orders. “Their career gets spoiled,” he said. The banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI-JK) fielded four candidates as independent for the first phase. For the second and third phase, as well, several people have filed nominations, who are backed by Jamaat.
In this year’s general election, Jamaat-e-Islami’s leaders came forward to cast their vote for the first time since 1987. Back then, the outfit had contested the elections under the banner of the Muslim United Front (MUF), a conglomerate of political parties, social groups and individuals. After allegations of rigging, the cadre-base outfit had decided to stay away from elections.
The Jamaat then decided that it would contest the Assembly polls as well and fielded independent candidates. Founded in 1943, the JEI is the only cadre-based party in J&K, besides the National Conference.
