On Sunday, Ghulam Qadir Lone, the former General Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir’s Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), announced that the organization has yet to receive formal confirmation regarding the status of its ban. Despite the ongoing restrictions, JeI will persist in promoting voter participation and supporting candidates who share their values.
Lone emphasized, “As previously stated, if the ban had been lifted, we would have participated in elections as a party. Since the ban remains in place, we will continue voting as we always have. Voting is our constitutional right and a cornerstone of our democratic system.”
He also noted that the ban could still be contested legally and that the JeI plans to communicate this to the public. “Jamaat-e-Islami is committed to peace,” Lone said. “In 1998, then-Amir Ghulam Muhammad Bhat publicly declared that we have no links to violence. Since then, we have adhered strictly to our principles and have not engaged in actions contrary to our constitution or beliefs.”
Reflecting on the post-1987 election situation, Lone mentioned that the JeI had refrained from participating in elections to protest widespread rigging. “For a long time, no one questioned our protest. We’ve had several discussions with the government in recent years, and they assured us that the 1987 situation would not recur. So far, it hasn’t. Despite our non-violent stance, our schools were shut down, and our properties were seized, with reports indicating these buildings are now used by drug users.”
Looking ahead, the Jamaat will back independent candidates whose ideologies align with theirs and who will address pressing issues, including the concerns of non-locals. They will particularly support candidates who challenge the ban on the JeI and advocate for voter participation.
Lone added that while the number of independent candidates JeI will support has not been finalized, it will be clarified soon. “We had hoped to contest elections as a party, but with the ban still in effect, this isn’t possible. Nonetheless, we will vote and back candidates who tackle significant issues such as our fruit industry, unemployment, and other critical concerns.”
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