Waheed Para
Waheed Para | |
|---|---|
Waheed Para | |
| Member Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 8 October 2024 | |
| Constituency | Pulwama |
| Youth Wing President, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party | |
| In office January 2013 – October 2024 | |
| President | Mehbooba Mufti |
| Secretary Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council | |
| In office July 2016 – July 2018 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 September 1988 Naira, Pulwama |
| Political party | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party |
| Education | Masters in IR (Peace & Conflict Studies) |
| Alma mater | Boston University, Islamic University of Science & Technology |
Waheed ur Rehman Para (وحید اررحمان پارہ) is an Indian politician of Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party and member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Pulwama constituency. He is the legislative party leader of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party in the J&K assembly.
Born and raised in Naira village of South Kashmir's Pulwama district, he joined the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party in 2013 and was subsequently appointed its youth wing president. In the following years, he served as the political analyst to then J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 2015 and as secretary J&K Sports Council in 2016.
Para contested the 2024 Indian general election from the Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency as a candidate of the PDP securing the runner up position with 1.68 lakh votes.
He was arrested by National Investigation Agency on 25 November 2020 for alleged terror links, and was again rearrested by J&K Police after receiving bail from Special NIA Court. Waheed was released on bail by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in May 2022, and was also selected as the inaugural Yale Peace Fellow at Yale University's International Leadership Center in 2023.