Jammu and Kashmir Police, in its charge-sheet against senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, has made sensational disclosures against the close aide of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
In a 19-page charge-sheet filed by Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK), a wing of the CID department of J&K Police, it was alleged that Parra was hand-in-glove with terrorists to further nefarious designs of Pakistan-based terror outfits and also to ensure that his political rivals are neutralized.
It is also alleged in the charge sheet that during his 13-year-long journey from a journalist to social activist to a politician, Parra played in the hands of Pakistan to fuel bloodshed and destruction in the Kashmir Valley.
The mysterious journey of Parra from a journalist to a politician
In the charge sheet, it was revealed that Parra also used to run a local media cable network at Pulwama town and was initially its anchor. In the year 2013, he joined the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) and in a very short span of time rose to the position of the president of the youth wing of the party and was considered very close to the power corridors.
It is construed that his terror connection started quite earlier. In so many ways the actual start point appears to be the year 2007 when he visited Pakistan and interviewed self-styled supremo of the terror outfit Syed Salah-ud-Din. Parra went all the way to Pakistan to allegedly facilitate the enemy's strategy.
Chargesheet highlights Parra's link with Pakistan
The charge sheet highlighted Parra's links with dreaded Pakistani terrorists Abu Dujana and Abu Qassim. As per the police charge sheet, Parra used to meet the duo personally as well as through one Over Ground Workers (OGW) Mohammad Yosuf Lone. Many OGWs used to meet at Parra's cable network office.
Both the dreaded terrorists were involved in a series of killings of security forces and civilians in Jammu and Kashmir provinces respectively. These terrorists were killed in two separate encounters with forces on Oct 29, 2015, and on Aug 1, 2017.
Parra was alleged to have established a nexus with terrorists for seeking support from them for political gains and reciprocated it by providing a range of help and support which led to several terror strikes.
Parra allegedly paid Rs 5 crore to fuel violence in Kashmir
It is also alleged that the PDP youth leader had paid Rs 5 crore to the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for keeping Kashmir in turmoil after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in the year 2016.
It is alleged that after the death of Wani, who was killed in an encounter with the security forces in July 2016, Parra got in touch with Altaf Ahmad Shah, alias Altaf Fantoosh, and asked him to ensure that the Valley was kept on the boil with widespread unrest and stone-pelting.
Mehbooba's close-aide arrested in Nov 2020
After two days of questioning, Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra was formally arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on November 25, 2020, for his alleged "close links" with Irfan Shafi Mir, who arrested along with Hizbul Mujahideen militant Naveed Babu and suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Singh.
In January this year, Parra was granted bail by the NIA court but he was arrested by the CIK wing in a case related to nexus between mainstream politicians and secessionists, and he continues to be in jail since then.
Parra was detained by the CIK wing and brought from Jammu on transit remand, after his release by an NIA court on January 9 this year. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested Parra on November 25, 2020, in a separate case related to terrorism.
Highlights from Wahid Parra's chargesheet
- Parra has linked with two Pakistani terrorists namely Abu Dujana and Abu Qassim, who were killed in separate encounters with security forces.
- Parra has established a nexus with other terrorists for seeking support from them for political gains and reciprocated it by providing a range of help and support which led to terror strikes.
- Parra was hand-in-glove with terrorists to further the agenda of Pakistan-based terror groups and also to ensure that his political adversaries are neutralised.
- It is also alleged that the PDP youth leader had paid Rs 5 crore to the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for keeping Kashmir in turmoil after the death of HM terrorist Burhan Wani in 2016.
- Established clandestine connections and relations with Pakistani-supported terrorists and secessionist organizations operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Parra takes undue advantage of his connections in the corridors of powers by organizing select physical attacks through terror groups, facilitating movements of terrorists, transporting fighting hardware of terrorists, arranging or facilitating terror groups communications.
