Former IAS officer Faesal to launch party in Srinagar today
J&K People’s Movement to contest Lok Sabha, assembly elections
SRINAGAR : Former IAS officer Shah Faesal will launch his political outfit ‘Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement’ at a function here on Sunday.
The 2010 batch UPSC topper had resigned from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in January this year to protest “unabated killings in Kashmir and absence of credible political initiative from the Centre”.
Faesal had initially planned to organise the party launch function at the city’s indoor stadium. As he has been denied permission by the government, the party will now be launched from a public park at Rajbagh.
People close to Faesal said the former IAS officer was planning to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He had also zeroed in on many candidates who would be fielded by the party in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state, they said.
The party has already released a promo which introduces the former IAS officer as a village boy who excelled in every field and “will help his people by introducing a different kind of politics”.
Faesal had organised his first public rally in north Kashmir’s Kupwara town in February.
Earlier, the former IAS officer started a crowdfunding campaign for “clean politics and corruption-free administration” in Jammu and Kashmir. As per Faesal, around ₹4.82 lakh had been collected during the campaign and half of the money would be utilised for rehabilitation of pellet victims.
Soon after resigning, Faesal had indicated that he would be treading an independent path in politics.
“I had never thought that my dream of clean politics and corruption-free administration in J&K would take the shape of a public movement. Respecting the public sentiment, I have decided to chart my independent political journey,” he had then written in a Facebook post.
The 35-year old, who hails from Kupwara district, became a household name after becoming the first person from the state to top the UPSC examination in 2010.
Several youngsters and aspiring politicians are expected to join Faesal’s political outfit.
“I imagine a politics where youth can lead the change and take charge of their future. I wish to partner with a new generation of young leaders who can stand up for human rights, environment, free speech and rule of law,” he said.