Srinagar, May 1: Inside a quiet ward at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar, a deeply emotional moment unfolded, one that words can barely capture.
As Awami Ittehad Party leader and Member of Parliament from Baramulla, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, stepped toward his father’s hospital bed, his composure gave way. He leaned in, held him tightly, and whispered through tears: “Zuv wondmaya… chaanay khatre aas…” — May I be sacrificed for you… I came here only for you.
ALSO READ: Drug De-Addiction Awareness Programme Held at PHC Pahroo in Budgam Under Nasha Mukt Abhiyan
For those present, it was more than a reunion. It carried the weight of years of separation, silence, and longing. Father and son broke down, clinging to each other as if trying to reclaim lost time. Even hospital staff and security personnel, watching quietly, were visibly moved.
Rashid had arrived in Srinagar earlier that day after being granted one-week interim bail by the Delhi High Court. His first stop was not home or a political office, but the hospital — escorted directly from the airport to the ward where his father lay critically ill.
The Awami Ittehad Party leader has been in custody since 2019, following his arrest by the National Investigation Agency under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a terror-funding case.
Years had passed. Time had moved on. But inside that hospital room, everything seemed to pause. There were no slogans, no speeches — only tears, whispers, and a quiet exchange between a father and his son.
For a brief moment, the weight of courtrooms, allegations, and politics faded away. What remained was something simple and deeply human: a son who had returned, after years, just to see his father.
The interim bail was granted by a bench of the Delhi High Court comprising Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Madhu Jain, after a trial court had earlier rejected his plea. The relief was granted strictly on humanitarian grounds, acknowledging his father’s deteriorating condition, but under stringent terms.
Rashid was permitted to visit only two places — the hospital and his home — and must remain accompanied at all times by at least two plainclothes police personnel. The court barred any undue visitors, restricting access to immediate family members. He was also directed to use only one mobile phone number, keep it active at all times, and refrain from contacting or influencing any witnesses in the ongoing case. A personal bond of ₹1 lakh and a surety of the same amount were also part of the conditions.
Despite being lodged in Tihar Jail since 2019, Rashid contested and won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla, defeating Omar Abdullah and Sajad Lone. In July 2024, he was granted custody parole to take oath in Parliament, and later briefly released to campaign during the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.
Yet, this visit felt different — stripped of politics and focused only on family.
Leaders across party lines, including Mehbooba Mufti, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, had also appealed for his temporary release on humanitarian grounds.
ALSO READ: ACB Traps Policeman for ‘Accepting Bribe’ in Srinagar
Beyond politics, this was about a son’s right to see his ailing father.
And when that moment finally came, it resonated far beyond the hospital walls.
A father on a hospital bed.
A son holding his hand.
And a whisper that said everything:
“I came here only for you.”
