Jailed under PSA, Sopore man wants to contest assembly elections

Srinagar: As Jammu & Kashmir moves closer to assembly elections, unexpected developments are unfolding. One of the latest surprises is the announcement from Shoaib Sheikh, a jailed resident of Zaingeer Sopore in north Kashmir, who has declared his intention to contest the upcoming elections.
Shoaib Sheikh, who has been in jail for several years, expressed his desire to participate in the democratic process during a recent meeting with his father. He plans to run for election from his home constituency of Rafiabad.
The 37-year-old is currently incarcerated at Udhampur jail under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for alleged involvement in militancy-related activities.
Originally from Tujjer Shareif Sopore, Sheikh, who holds a pharmacy degree from the Institute of Public Health and Hygiene (IPHH) in Delhi, was running a sanitary shop in Sopore town before his arrest.
Mohammad Haneef Sheikh, Shoaib’s father, said despite being in jail, his son is determined to serve people. He said Shoaib had been active in social work and was well-regarded in his village.
“I met him around two months ago, and he expressed his desire to contest the upcoming assembly elections from Rafiabad. I supported his decision, telling him, if others can, why can’t you?” Sheikh said. He defended his son’s character, saying that Shoaib was an active social worker and a respected figure in the locality.
Haneef said he made efforts to reach out to the Director General of Police (DGP), R R Swain, but was unsuccessful in securing a meeting due to long queues. He appealed to the police chief to revisit the case details and reconsider the grounds for his son’s detention.
Sheikh is hopeful that his son’s nomination will be accepted and plans to complete all necessary formalities and procedures to ensure this. “A bail application has been filed in the high court, although the case has yet to be heard,” he said.
However, according to a top police official, Shoaib Sheikh has been involved in multiple terror-related incidents and was known as a staunch Over Ground Worker (OGW) for the banned Al-Badr outfit.
“He was reportedly a close associate of Abdul Gani Khawaja, a top terrorist who has since been killed,” the official said, adding that Shoaib was apprehended in 2021 under FIR No. 74/2020 U/S 7/25 Arms Act ULA(P) Act at Police Station Bomai.
The police have accused Sheikh of being a hardcore OGW, actively involved in activities such as storing arms and ammunition, providing logistical support and transport facilities to terrorists and motivating local youth to join terror ranks. He is also alleged to have acted as a courier for arms and ammunition for Al-Badr