The so-called State Investigation Agency (SIA) in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir has opposed a petition filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Member of Legislative Assembly, Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, seeking permission to travel outside the territory. According to Kashmir Media Service, the SIA, in its submission before the High Court, termed Parra’s plea “baseless and meritless”.

Parra, who was arrested in 2020 in a fabricated terror-related case and later released on bail, had recently requested the court to allow him to travel outside the occupied territory.  The SIA counsel claimed that granting the plea would “jeopardize the trial court’s authority” and “affect the ongoing proceedings.”   

The agency said allowing Parra’s application would not only “weaken bail conditions” but also set a “bad precedent” for other accused facing politically motivated cases. Observers say such actions expose India’s continued use of its judiciary and investigative agencies to target pro-democracy and pro-Kashmir political voices in IIOJK.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)