Barkati was arrested on October 1, 2016, and later released in October 2020. He was again arrested in August 2023
SRINAGAR – Following the footsteps of incarcerated MP Engineer Rashid, an alleged separatist and currently imprisoned cleric, Sarjan Barkati, has decided to fight the upcoming assembly elections as an independent from J&K’s Shopian district.
Known as the ‘Azadi Chacha’ during the tumultuous years of violence when prominent Kashmiri youth leader Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district on July 8, 2016, Barkati is claimed to have delivered some lectures and sermons.
Barkati, originally named Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, belongs to the Reban village of Shopian district.
His daughter told reporters that the family has already held a meeting with the locals who have assured all their support to her father in the assembly elections.
She is expected to hold a press conference later on Tuesday while the family said they are now moving to file Barkati’s nomination paper before the district returning officer.
Barkati was arrested on October 1, 2016, and later released in October 2020. He was again arrested by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) in August 2023 in an alleged terror funding case and later his wife was also arrested.
Barkati’s entry into the democratic process is part of the religio-political organisation Jamaat-e-Islami’s decision to field ex-members as independent candidates.
Sources said Barkati would be supported by the Jamaat cadre during the election campaign.
Jamaat has already said that they will field independent candidates for 10 to 12 seats and will support those of Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittihad Party (AIP) in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district and other places and will not come into direct contest with the AIP candidates.
Fighting elections is nothing new to the Jamaat. Its most popular leader, the late Syed Ali Shah Geelani, fought elections from the North Kashmir Sopore Assembly seat and represented the constituency thrice. – IANS
