After Shehla Rashid's father exposes her 'anti-national activities', Shah Faesal maintains his distance; says this

After Shehla Rashid's father exposed her 'anti-national activities', IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal kept his distance.

A day after the father of former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Shehla Rashid exposed her 'anti-national activities' and also took the name of IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal, the latter on Tuesday maintained his distance.

Taking to micro-blogging website Twitter, Faesal said that his name has been "dragged into the family dispute". In 2019, he had launched his political party, Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM). But on August 10, 2019, he stepped down as the president of the party. The then vice president Feroze Peerzada had taken charge of the post of president.

On November 30, Shehla's father Abdul Rashid Shora claimed that he has been facing death threat from his daughter. In a letter written to Jammu and Kashmir DGP, he also alleged that Shehla took Rs 3 crore in cash to join Kashmir centric politics from 'notorious people'. He has asked for an investigation of her bank accounts.

Taking Faesal's name, he wrote, "Just two months before the arrest of Zahoor Vatali in Terror Funding Case under UAPA I was called by Zahoor Vatali and Rasheed Engineer (Ex-MLA) at Vatali's Residence at Sanat Nagar, Srinagar in June 2017 for a sitting and she was in the last semester of her PhD in Sociology after we met they revealed in front of me the trailer of the launch of JKPM party and urged me to extend cooperation to merge Shehla Rashid into their game plan, at that point of time Shah Faesal was in the USA on education leave under the patronage of Feroze Peerzada presently President of JKPPA party and Zahoor Vatali."

As far as my name has been dragged into the family dispute of a former colleague, I want to make it clear that I have neither met nor consulted any of the terror accused persons, directly or indirectly, not to speak of seeking their support or benefitting from them. 1/n

— Shah Faesal (@shahfaesal) December 1, 2020

In a series of tweets, Faesal clarified that he has "neither met nor consulted any of the terror accused persons, directly or indirectly, not to speak of seeking their support or benefitting from them". He added that in the US too in 2018, he was "very careful" with his "actions and utterances and never said anything prejudicial to the security and integrity of the country".

He also said that he is aware of the redlines and very clear on his stand, adding that he feels "extremely sad to see my name being dragged into something with which I am not even remotely associated."

"As far as my name has been dragged into the family dispute of a former colleague, I want to make it clear that I have neither met nor consulted any of the terror accused persons, directly or indirectly, not to speak of seeking their support or benefitting from them," he tweeted.

"In the US also, in 2018, I have been very careful with my actions and utterances and never said anything prejudicial to the security and integrity of the country. Having been in the IAS, I am fully aware of the redlines and am very clear about where I stand," Faesal also tweeted.

"While I know the perils of public life, I feel extremely sad to see my name being dragged into something with which I am not even remotely associated. I will be glad to go before JKP NIA CBI ED and assist in the investigation if required," he further tweeted.