Jailed MP Engineer Rashid’s father dies aged 85

The father of jailed Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, died in a hospital in Delhi on Monday, May 18, 2026. He was 85 years old.

“Member of Parliament Baramulla, Haji Khazir Muhammad Sheikh, father of Engineer Rashid, is no more,” Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said in Srinagar.

Mr. Nabi appealed to the Government of India and relevant authorities to facilitate the immediate release of the Baramulla MP so that he can attend his father’s last rites.

“No pain can be greater than that of a child being deprived of saying goodbye to his own father for the last time,” he added.

Rashid was granted interim bail by the Delhi High Court on April 30, 2026, to meet his father, who is critically ill in a hospital in Srinagar. He met his father at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS).

The interim bail was granted after the party took action last month and the ruling National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah also demanded his release.

Rashid was arrested in 2019 and later the National Investigation Agency (NIA) slapped him with “terror financing” charges under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

(With inputs from PTI)