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Waheed Para

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Indian Politician

Waheed Para
Waheed Para
Member of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 October 2024
ConstituencyPulwama
Youth Wing President, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
2013
Secretary Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council
In office
July 2016 – July 2018
Personal details
Born24 September 1988
Naira, Pulwama
Political partyJammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
EducationMasters in IR (Peace & Conflict Studies)
Alma materBoston University, Islamic University of Science & Technology

Waheed ur Rehman Para (وحید اررحمان پارہ) is an Indian politician of Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party and member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing Pulwama constituency. He is also the legislative party leader of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party in J&K assembly.

Born and raised in Naira village of South Kashmir's Pulwama district, he joined the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party in 2013 and was subsequently appointed its youth wing president. In the following years, he served as the political analyst to then J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 2015 and as secretary J&K Sports Council.

Para contested the 2024 Indian general election from the Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency as a candidate of the PDP securing the runner up position with 1 lakh 68 thousand votes.

He was arrested by National Investigation Agency on 25 November 2020 for alleged terror links, and was again rearrested by J&K Police after receiving bail from Special NIA Court. Waheed was released on bail by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in May 2022, and was also selected as the inaugural Yale Peace Fellow at Yale University's International Leadership Center in 2023.

Political career

Waheed had been informally associated with Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party since 2002 but formally joined the party in 2013 and was subsequently appointed the Youth Wing President of the party.

Under then J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, he served as his political analyst, and was later appointed the Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council from July 2016 to 2018. He took part in 2015 UNCCC, held in Paris, as a special representative from the state of J&K In 2018. Waheed had also survived an attack on his life after terrorists closely fired at his vehicle in Central Kashmir's Budgam district.

Following arrest by the National Investigation Agency, he won the DDC Elections, 2020 from Pulwama constituency while being under custody. After remaining incarcerated at Srinagar's central jail for over 17 months, he was released after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court granted him bail and observed "The evidence as is gathered by the prosecution is too sketchy to be believed prima facie true, that too, with a view to deny bail to the appellant."

Waheed has been an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) fellow, and was amongst a couple of politicians invited by the U.S. Government from India for the program. Para had also been invited for the Australia-India Youth Dialogue (AIYD) 2019, which is a track-two young leaders’ dialogue held every alternate year, but owing to his detention following 5 August 2019 was not allowed to attend the conference.

Waheed Para signing papers after taking oath in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly at Srinagar (2024)

Para contested the 2024 Indian general election from the Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency as a candidate of the PDP securing 1 lakh 68 thousand votes.

Waheed Para poses with the delegation of American Council of Young Political Leaders after an interaction at New Delhi (2016)

Waheed won the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections from Pulwama constituency, defeating his opponent with over 8 thousand votes and currently serves as the member of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing Pulwama.

Waheed became the first elected legislator from Jammu and Kashmir to introduce a resolution to condemen whatever was done on 5 August 2019 and oppose the revocation of J&K's special status (Article 370) with other constitutional guarantees through the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 on the first day of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly's session at Srinagar. The resolution called for, "restoration of special status and all constitutional guarantees granted to Jammu and Kashmir in their original, pristine form"

He also became the youngest legislative party head in J&K Assembly at the age 36, after being appointed the same of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party on 14 November 2024.

Detention

Waheed was first arrested on 4 August 2019, as the Government of India moved to abrogate Article 370. Like other mainstream political leaders in the region, Parra was initially detained at the SKICC and the MLA's hostel in Srinagar, before being placed under house arrest.

On 26 November 2020, two days after filing his nomination papers for the District Development Council (DDC) elections, Parra was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Despite being in custody, he went on to win the DDC elections in 2020.

J&K Police clear the way for PDP leader Waheed Para as he arrives to collect winning certificate at Pulwama (2024)

Shortly after being granted bail by the Special NIA Court in Jammu, Parra was re-arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

During his detention, he was reportedly subjected to harsh interrogation conditions, including being kept in freezing temperatures. Allegations of abusive interrogations lasting up to 12 hours surfaced, with Parra being questioned about his participation in a virtual meeting with United Nations Security Council members, where he had raised concerns regarding the Government of India’s actions in Jammu and Kashmir, its treatment of Muslim minorities, and border tensions with China.

In July 2021, five Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations sought an official reply from the Government of India on reports of torture meted out to him. The report highlighted serious accusations, including the claim that "Para had been held in a dark underground cell at subzero temperatures, deprived of sleep, and subjected to physical abuse, including being kicked, slapped, beaten with rods, and hung upside down. His alleged ill-treatment was documented, and he was reportedly required to meet with medical professionals due to the severity of the torture."

Waheed was eventually shifted to Srinagar's Central Jail, where he remained incarcerated for over 17 months. His release came after the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh granted him bail, stating that the evidence presented by the prosecution was "too sketchy" to justify his continued detention.

Waheed Para addressing supporters at Jammu in 2018

Despite being granted bail, he was disallowed to accompany his cancer hit father for treatment outside Jammu and Kashmir alongside not being allowed to also accompany his 8 year old nephew for treatment at AIIMS Delhi in 2023 - 2024 after repeated pleas, both of whom expired in month's time from each other.

  • Waheed Para during 2024 Lok Sabha election campaigning at Pulwama Waheed Para during 2024 Lok Sabha election campaigning at Pulwama
  • Waheed Para poses with suppoters at a rally in Srinagar (2019) Waheed Para poses with suppoters at a rally in Srinagar (2019)
  • Waheed Para addressing a crowd at Anantnag (2024) Waheed Para addressing a crowd at Anantnag (2024)
  • Waheed Para after winning elections from Pulwama Waheed Para after winning elections from Pulwama

References

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  64. "PDP leader Waheed Para seeks travel permission to visit ailing nephew in Delhi; NIA objects". The Indian Express. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
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