Srinagar, Dec 2 (IANS) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and an MLA of J&K Assembly, Waheed ur Rehman Para, on Tuesday, thanked the judiciary for granting him the permission to travel outside the Union Territory within the country.

Holding that judiciary gives hope to the people, Para on X said, “After 5 years of a painful legal battle, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has allowed me to travel outside Jammu and Kashmir. In moments when my own family needed me, in grief, loss, all I could do was wait & feel the helplessness, which leaves a mark that never truly fades.”

“You begin to understand the meaning of freedom only when it is taken from you & you feel the suffering of others more deeply when you’ve carried that weight yourself.”

“Over the years, I’ve met families living under similar restraints and their pain has stayed with me every single day and today I’m reminded of how many people still live with silent burdens,” Para added.

“Throughout these difficult, dark years, one institution that continued to give hope — the judiciary. Today, I’m thankful to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court for restoring this small but meaningful part of my freedom.”

“Deep appreciation to @ShariqJReyaz for standing his ground and pursuing this strong legal battle.”

A division bench of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, on Tuesday, granted permission to the PDP leader Para to travel outside the Union Territory within the country.

Para is accused in a terror conspiracy case and was granted bail by a division bench of the High Court in May 2022 on a surety of Rs 1 lakh with directions to be present before the Investigating Officer as and when required, and to surrender his passport and not leave Jammu and Kashmir without the prior permission of the trial court.

On Tuesday, a division bench comprising Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul and Justice Sanjeev Kumar allowed him to travel within the country after informing the trial court.

Advocate Shariq J Reyaz submitted before the court that Para was an MLA and has to move out of the Union Territory time and again in connection with his official and other duties and this bail condition is creating a lot of hardship and inconvenience to him.

The court said in its order, “We are of the considered opinion that it would be in the interest of justice to modify the condition.”

Para was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in November 2020 in connection with a case for allegedly supporting the terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen.

The PDP MLA got bail in January 2021 but before he could walk out of jail, the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested him.

While granting the PDP leader bail in 2022, the High Court had said that the evidence assembled by the investigating agency and relied upon by the prosecution to prosecute him “is too sketchy to be believed prima facie true”.

“The petitioner (Para) shall be entitled to leave Jammu and Kashmir and move within the country after intimating his location and purpose of visit to the trial court,” the High Court said in its two-page order.

As of late November 2025, a Special NIA Court in Jammu had reserved its order on PDP MLA Waheed Para’s plea for a permanent, one-time travel permission to travel outside the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Para is currently out on bail, but is restricted from leaving Jammu and Kashmir without the trial court’s prior permission, a condition imposed by the High Court in May 2022.

He recently filed an application with the Special NIA Court in Jammu, saying that permanent travel clearance is essential to perform his duties as an MLA for the Pulwama constituency and liaise with Central government institutions for development projects.

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) and the NIA had strongly opposed his plea, citing national security concerns, flight risk, and the gravity of the charges he faces in an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act case.

The Special NIA Court heard arguments from both sides and has reserved its judgment.

Previously, various courts had denied his requests for blanket travel permission, though he was granted specific, temporary permission on humanitarian grounds in April 2023 to take his ailing father for cancer treatment in Mumbai.

With Tuesday’s order by the division bench of the High Court, Para will not have to wait for the trial court to deliver its judgement on the issue, which had been reserved.

–IANS

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