MLA Waheed Parra gets 7 days to respond to breach of privilege notice

We will not be intimidated or silenced, will respond appropriately, says Waheed

SRINAGAR: Member of Legislative Assembly Pulwama Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra has been given seven days to respond to a breach of privilege notice issued to him over his speech in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly early this month.
National Conference MLA Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurez had accused Waheed Para of a breach of privilege. A complaint was filed to Speaker Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Rahim Rather.
I move privilege motion against Mr. Waheed Para who made a wrong allegation against me during his speech in the house on 8th November about the banned Jamat-e-Islmia, read the complaint.
The office is in receipt of a communication from Gurezi addressed to the Speaker in which it has been stated that Para, during his speech on Motion of Thanks on the Lieutenant Governor’s Address on 8th of November 2024, has leveled some allegations and used derogatory remarks against him, reads the privilege notice issued to MLA Waheed Para.
“Accordingly, the matter was placed before the Speaker, who desired to seek comments from Para in the first instance before proceeding ahead in the matter,” Qazi Mushtaq Ahmad, under-secretary in J&K legislative assembly secretariat, said in a communication to Para on Tuesday.
I am accordingly, directed to forward the copy of the said communication with the request to kindly furnish your comments in the matter within seven days positively so that same could be placed before the Hon’ble Speaker for his kind perusal, it read.
Speaking about the issue, MLA Waheed Para said, “The Speaker of the Assembly has unfortunately taken this step, and this government, which came to power with the people's mandate to give them a voice, has created an atmosphere of suffocation over the past five years”.
Adding that he said people are wondering if their voices are at risk. When we were in opposition, we wanted to raise these issues in the Assembly, to ensure that the voices, aspirations, and sentiments of the people were heard in the Assembly.
We didn't commit any mistake in doing so. We spoke about Article 370, but the Speaker said they wouldn’t hear us. We gave notice twice, brought forward a resolution, and even proposed an amendment. But they didn’t acknowledge it; instead, they made the document itself disappear, it added.
MLA further said that unfortunately, if the government is bent on censorship, they should at least address matters outside the Assembly. Even now, the government has targeted the youth. We, a small group of just three or four people, are trying to speak up, but if they want to run this motion, intimidate us, or threaten us, the intention is clear: they want to silence our voices.
We will not be intimidated or silenced. We will respond appropriately. At the same time, the people must be made aware of this, he said.
In one instance, when the Assembly passed motions against Jamaat-e-Islami and Mufti Sahib, we expressed our resistance and clearly stated that we did not accept such measures. If they think they can intimidate or threaten us, they are mistaken. We will neither retreat nor stop speaking up against such actions, he said.