NIA Court Bars PDP's Waheed Parra From Travelling to US for Yale Fellowship

Srinagar: A court in Jammu and Kashmir has dismissed a plea from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra seeking permission to travel to the United States for a Peace Fellowship program at Yale University. 

Parra was expected to join as an Inaugural Peace Fellow of the prestigious YALE Peace Fellowship, 2023, which commences in September and ends in November this year at the YALE University’s International Leadership Center in the US. 

The court, however, rejected his application for travelling abroad after the prosecution argued that the leader allegedly has close links with foreign and local militants and is accused of funding and aiding militancy in the region.

Parra has since moved the J&K High Court seeking permission to travel abroad. “I have approached the High Court for relief. I am willing to fulfil all conditions for the travel as it is a prestigious fellowship, which I am looking forward to joining,” Parra told NewsClick.   

However, the special NIA court noted, “There is every possibility that if the accused is permitted to visit abroad, he will not only abscond and jump over the bail but also will take political asylum in the visiting country. Moreover, there is also a possibility that the accused may indulge in a vicious smear campaign of defaming India’s reputation and credibility at international forms or gathering.”

Parra, who had moved the special court designated under the National Investigation Agency (NIA), is facing trial in a case FIR No. 31/2020 of P/S Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) Srinagar, and is facing charges under Sections 13, 17, 18, 38, 39, 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Sections 120-B, 121, 121-A, 124-A of the IPC. Parra has denied all allegations against him, including conspiring with the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit to garner support for his party in the elections. 

The 34-year-old leader from the PDP was seen as one of the most promising pro-India faces amongst the youth in the region marred by conflict and violence. He was among the scores of pro-India leaders who were arrested during the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 for opposing the Centre’s move. He was released after six months but arrested again on November 25, 2020, days after he had filed his nomination for the District Development Council (DDC) elections. 

The PDP leader, who served as the former secretary of the J&K Sports Council, fought elections from jail and emerged as a winner from his native Pulwama. He defeated the candidate from the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) by a significant margin. He was granted bail by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh later in May 2022 but is yet to take oath as a DDC member despite court orders.