Er Rashid sworn in as Baramulla MP amid custody parole from Tihar Jail

SRINAGAR — Abdul Rashid Sheikh, commonly known as Er Rashid, was sworn in as the Member of Parliament for the Baramulla Lok Sabha segment on Friday.

The 56-year-old, currently held in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for over five years on charges of militant funding under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), received a two-hour custody parole on July 2 from Delhi’s Patiala House Court. This parole was granted after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) consented, allowing him to take the oath after numerous delays.

The ceremony was attended by several of Er Rashid’s family members, including his sons Asrar and Abrar Rashid, his daughter, wife, brother Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, and two other party officials. Attendees were required to present identity cards and were prohibited from using phones and the Internet.

Following the ceremony, Er Rashid briefly interacted with his family before being returned to jail, as per court orders, without any media interaction or communication with unauthorized persons.

Er Rashid won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, defeating notable candidates such as JKNC’s Omar Abdullah, JKPC’s Sajjad Gani Lone, and JKPDP’s Fayaz Ahmad Mir.