Para’s contribution of involving youth into sports can’t be forgotten: Mehbooba

Asserting that PDP youth president Waheed-ur-Rehman Para’s immense contribution of involving youth into sports can’t be forgotten, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that no prison can break his spirit to work tirelessly for the dignity of J&K.

“On this International Sports Day, @parawahid’s immense contribution by involving youth into sports cannot be forgotten. No prison can break his spirit & will to work tirelessly for the dignity of Jammu & Kashmir,” Ms Mehbooba, who is the president of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.

Ms Mehbooba has been alleging that Para has been arrested on ‘baseless charges’, saying that his only crime was that he stood for truth and reconciliation. “Having fought for the right to freedom for others, its been almost a year since @parawahid has been jailed on baseless charges. His only crime is that he stood for truth & reconciliation & is now being punished for it. This is the tragedy of New India,” tweeted last week.

Para was arrested on November 25, 2020 by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a terror funding case days after he filed nomination papers for District Development Council (DDC) polls in Pulwama. He won the seat despite remaining in jail during campaigning.

He was re-arrested in another case after a court granted him bail in January this year.

A special court last month framed charges against Para. The charges were based on a police charge sheet that accused Para of being “an asset for Pakistan-based militant groups”. The charge sheet described the political career of Para as a ‘saga of subterfuge, deceit and double-dealing’.

However, the charges against Para have been denied by his lawyer Shariq Reyaz. “Prima facie there is sufficient evidence against the accused for alleged commission of offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code,” the court had said.

“I have gone through the police report as well as the statements of the witnesses of the prosecution and have applied my mind into the present facts and circumstances levelled in the police report… as well as statements of the witnesses and the digital evidence against the accused, there is sufficient evidence against the accused for alleged commission of offences,” the court added.

UNI ABS