Baramulla: Jailed separatist leader Nayeem Khan’s brother, Munir Khan, on Friday, May 3, filed his nomination papers from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, which is going to polls in the fifth phase on May 20.
Nayeem Khan was arrested on July 24, 2017, in a terror-related case. He headed the Jammu Kashmir National Front, which was banned by the government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Munir Khan, who is a part of the Jammu Kashmir Nationalist People’s Front Party, launched two years ago, filed the nomination papers before Baramulla Deputy Commissioner Minga Sherpa, the returning officer of the constituency.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah, People’s Conference president and separatist-turned-mainstream-politician Sajad Lone, former Rajya Sabha MP and PDP leader Mir Fayaz and former MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, who is currently in jail, have also filed nominations from the seat.
The last date for filing nominations from the seat is May 3, while the polling is scheduled to take place on May 20.
Speaking to reporters after filing the nomination, Munir Khan said if elected, he would focus on triple ‘Es’ - education, economy, and employment.
He said there was a time when “our society” as a whole went in one direction, apparently referring to militancy and separatism.
“We all have made mistakes in the past. Our youths were especially involved in that, there are many FIRs against them, and they have got the tag of being stone-pelters and ex-militants. It is not that a minuscule population is linked to that, there are lakhs of people associated with that.
“Unless we address that core issue, how can we talk about development or ‘Naya’ (new) Kashmir? How is progress possible without bringing such people, especially the youth, into the mainstream?” he said.
Asked what difference he saw between separatist and mainstream politics, Munir Khan said it is not about differences.
“We have to rise above the levels of separatism, mainstream or A team, B team, and C team and think about the nation. That was a time, but that time has gone now. Today, the situation in the world has changed, the situation in India, our country, has changed,” he said.
“The situation in Kashmir has changed, much water has flown down Jhelum, and we also have brought a change in ourselves so that we start an era of prosperity,” he added.
Replying to a question whether he would persuade his brother to join the mainstream once he is out of jail, Munir Khan said that Nayeem Khan’s ideology is his own.
