NIA Greenlights Jailed Kashmiri Leader's Oath as MP Amidst Controversy

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has permitted jailed Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid to take his MP oath on July 5. Rashid, imprisoned since 2019 for alleged terror funding, sought interim bail or custody parole. The oath is subject to conditions like non-interaction with the media.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday consented to jailed Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid taking his oath as a Member of Parliament on July 5. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh will deliver the order on Tuesday, following Rashid's plea for interim bail or custody parole to fulfill his parliamentary duties.

Rashid, an Independent MP from Baramulla, has been detained since 2019 on charges of involvement in a 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. In light of his request, the NIA's counsel stipulated conditions, including a ban on media interactions and a one-day timeline completion for the oath.

The former MLA's arrest and subsequent detention followed revelations during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, accused of funding terrorist groups. The NIA's chargesheet names several individuals, among them Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Malik received a life sentence in 2022 after his guilty plea.

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