NIA gives consent to jailed Kashmiri leader Engineer Rashid to take oath as Lok Sabha MP

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday gave consent for jailed Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid, to take oath as a Member of the Parliament .

 The NIA’s consent came a day prior to a Delhi court’s hearing on Mr. Rashid’s plea seeking bail to take oath as an MP.

Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh is scheduled to pass an order on July 2 regarding the interim bail plea filed by Mr. Rashid — who had successfully contested the recently-held general election as an Independent candidate. He defeated National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from Baramulla.

Last month, the court had asked the NIA to file a reply in the interim bail plea filed by Mr. Rashid to take oath and participate in the parliamentary functions.

Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi told media that the central agency had agreed for Mr. Rashid to take oath on July 5. The agency did not oppose his plea to take oath but had said he should be subject to certain restrictions such as not speaking to the media and that the entire process must get finished in a single day.

In jail since 2019, Mr. Rashid was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the alleged terror funding case.

Mr. Rashid’s name cropped up when the NIA was investigating a terror funding case pertaining to Kashmir-based businessman Zahoor Watali. He was allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in Kashmir Valley.

The NIA had filed a charge sheet against several people, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, in the matter.

Mr. Malik was given life imprisonment by a trial court in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to the charges.

J&K parties welcome move

Several Jammu and Kashmir-based political parties welcomed the move to allow the oath ceremony of Member of Parliament-elect Engineer Rashid, who won from the Baramulla constituency and demanded his release from jail in an alleged terror funding case.

“It’s a shame that Engineer Rashid has been behind bars since 2019 on baseless charges. Relieved to know he’s been allowed to take oath as Member Parliament but his imprisonment itself is an utter travesty of justice in the first place. GOI (Government of India) must release him immediately along with countless other Kashmiri men languishing in jails,” former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said.

J&K Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari also welcomed the decision of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). “This was long due which finally has seen its realisation, much to the joy and satisfaction of the electorate, spanning in lakhs, in north Kashmir. However, restricting the MP-elect from interacting with the media is worrisome and not a healthy sign for democracy,” Mr. Bukhari said.

“While Mr. Rashid would take the oath, the people of Baramulla constituency would still lack representation,” Mr. Abdullah said.