Pitching for the early release of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth president Waheed-ur-Rehmaan Parra, party president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday described his incarceration as “persecution for not toeing the line of the Centre”.
“Not having any proof to substantiate the charges, the Government of India is on a spree where Waheed is arrested by one agency after another. It is sheer political vendetta and an attempt to sabotage the life of a young and promising 32-year-old man,” said the former Chief Minister in a tweet.
Mr. Parra was arrested immediately after he filed his nomination for the District Development Council polls in November last year.
“Mr. Parra hails from a family where his grandfather would unfurl the Indian flag when not many Kashmiris would do so. Waheed’s interest in politics started at a young age. His mother was scared that one fine day he’d pursue this passion for politics and become the target of militants. Sadly this fear consumed her and she died when Waheed was a teenager,” Ms. Mufti said.
She alleged that the very same system that he placed his faith in was going after him with a vengeance. “Waheed, despite being in illegal detention lasting a year, fought and won DDC elections from jail. Even after a strong bail order by the NIA [National Investigation Agency] court, he was rearrested by the CIK [Counter Intelligence Kashmir] on unknown charges,” she said.
Ms. Mufti claimed that there was no proof to substantiate the charges. “His last hope now rests on the justice system and I hope that truth and justice will prevail,” she added.
She said Mr. Waheed’s persecution by the Indian government was emblematic of the situation that Kashmiri politicians find themselves in today. “Disliked and mistrusted by people in J&K for their faith in Indian Constitution on the one hand and punished by the GOI for not toeing their line on the other,” she said.
Mr. Waheed was granted bail by a NIA court in Jammu in January, but he was arrested again by the CIK in a case related to “the politicians’ nexus with militants”. His case is likely to come up again for a hearing in the NIA court on Thursday.
