Court nod to decide AAP MLA Mehraj Malik’s attendance in Assembly session,Says Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather

Srinagar, Oct 3: The participation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Mehraj Malik in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly session will hinge entirely on whether the court grants him permission, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather clarified on Friday. Speaking to reporters, the Speaker said that Malik, who was detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) last month, would need to approach the court to seek approval to attend the session. “It depends on whether he gets permission or not. If the court allows it and the government permits his attendance, it would be good,” Rather remarked, underscoring that the decision lies beyond the Assembly’s jurisdiction.

Responding to questions about the show-cause notice issued to PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, the Speaker said the matter is under examination. Para had alleged in a social media post that the Assembly secretariat had endorsed the PSA detention of Mehraj Malik, a claim that Rather firmly refuted. “He made a misleading statement. The Assembly secretariat has no role in approving PSA. The decision to invoke PSA is taken solely by the District Magistrate,” the Speaker clarified. Para’s post on X, formerly Twitter, described the detention as a “shameful surrender” and a “direct assault on democracy,” urging former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and warning that such actions could silence elected representatives.

Meanwhile, Speaker Rather also shared updates on the upcoming Assembly session, revealing that preparations for a provisional calendar are underway. “This will be a brief session, likely comprising five to seven sittings, depending on the government’s legislative business,” he said. The schedule will be finalized once the Assembly secretariat receives details of government business in the coming days.