Srinagar: Parliament Attack convict Afzal Guru’s brother Aijaz Ahmed Guru on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections from the Sopore constituency as an independent candidate. Notably, his brother Afzal Guru was hanged 11 years ago in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
Aijaz Guru took a voluntary retirement from the government job at the Animal Husbandry Department in 2014 of the Jammu and Kashmir government and is currently working as a contractor.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Aijaz explained that his son’s arrest was a key motivation for him to enter the political arena. His son, Shoaib Aijaz Guru, was detained by Baramulla police in December 2023 on charges of drug trafficking under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PIT-NDPS Act) and is currently held in Jammu’s Kot-Bhalwal jail.
Aijaz, a contractor by profession, claimed that the case against his son was “fabricated” and vowed to advocate for others who have been similarly detained under dubious circumstances.
He also asserted that Sopore had been “neglected by previous leaders” and expressed his commitment to addressing longstanding local issues such as employment, infrastructure development, and the rehabilitation of youth.
However, he clarified that he would not invoke his brother Afzal Guru’s name in his campaign, The Times of India reported. “I won’t seek votes in my brother’s name. My ideology is entirely different, and I believe the people of Kashmir, particularly Sopore, have been let down by political leaders,” he stated.
In Sopore, Congress and the National Conference are engaged in a “friendly contest.” The Congress has fielded Haji Abdul Rashid Dar, who has represented the seat three times previously, while Irshad Kar is the National Conference candidate.
Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.