Ex IAS topper Shah Faesal launches political party

Former IAS officer Shah Faesal, who resigned from the service earlier this year, launched his own party “Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement” at a function in Srinagar on Sunday.

“As mainstream party we can only facilitate peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue which ultimately has to come from New Delhi and Islamabad,” he said amid thunderous applause from hundreds of his supporters, who had gathered at ‘Gindun Ground’ in posh Rajbagh area of the city.

The newly floated party also released a ‘vision document’ at its launch. The manifesto said the party will attempt to bring about sustainable peace in the state by making the people politically empowered, economically prosperous, socially emancipated, ethically evolved, culturally enlightened and environmentally conscious.

The 2010 batch UPSC topper, who resigned from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) on January 9 this year to protest “unabated killings, absence of credible political initiative from Delhi,” and “rise of Hindutva forces” said that women were the worst sufferers of Kashmir conflict and that they should join his party.

“The youngsters should be allowed to express dissent and raise voice against human rights violations. Our party will fight for these rights. “The party (JKPM) would seek adequate political representation for under-represented communities like Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians and Kashmiri Pandits,” he asserted.

The former bureaucrat said that Kashmiri politicians were living in a state of mental siege and slavery. “This all pervading mentality of siege has to go. Our intention to launch this party is to provide a platform for people from all religions and castes,” he asserted.

Without naming anyone, Faesal said, “Those who were ready to accommodate me in their political parties, by denying them and their offers, they are now saying, I am an agent of RSS and BJP.”

The former IAS officer said that he admires Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for their political struggle.

Shehla Rashid, an engineer-turned-activist, who is currently pursuing her PhD from Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU), was among the people who joined the party on Sunday. “We need basic living facilities and we need development. We will work for the peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue,” she said.

Shehla also requested the women to come forward and join the newly formed political party.