Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, appealing for a compassionate and urgent review of Yasin Malik’s case on humanitarian grounds.
Mufti said that while she differs with Malik’s political ideology, one cannot ignore the courage it took for him to renounce violence and embrace political engagement and non-violent dissent.
In her letter, Mufti wrote, “I write to you not merely as a witness but as someone who has lived through the turbulent times of Jammu and Kashmir, bearing its grief, enduring its silences, and holding on to its fragile hopes. This letter is written not in defiance but in faith, in the promise of reconciliation, and in the belief that this great nation, even in its most challenging moments, can still choose healing over hurt.”
Review Yasin Malik’s Case
She appealed for a compassionate and urgent review of Malik’s case, stressing that his journey reflects a profound transformation. Malik, she said, once symbolized resistance but later chose to lay down arms and embrace political, non-violent means to pursue change.
Yasin Malik’s Shift Away From Militancy
According to Mufti, Malik’s shift away from militancy was encouraged through back-channel understandings with Indian agencies. Over the years, he participated in dialogues with officials, intelligence operatives, and even controversial figures like Hafiz Saeed, all with tacit state approval. She added that for 25 years, across successive governments, Malik was seen as a crucial bridge, but things changed after August 2019, when old cases were reopened, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was banned, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
“For years, these quiet understandings held. Malik participated in talks, traveled with official clearance, and was regarded even if reluctantly as a crucial bridge between estranged realities. He was granted bail in all 32 pending TADA cases, none of which the government pursued. Malik asserts that this truce was honored for 25 years across the tenures of Narasimha Rao, Vajpayee, Gujral, Manmohan Singh, and even Modi’s first term. Yet everything changed after August 2019. Old cases were resurrected, the JKLF was banned, and the man once seen as a potential peace interlocutor was recast as a terrorist, sentenced to life imprisonment, and now potentially facing the death penalty,” she said.
Yasin Malik’s Links With Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh
Mufti further argued that India’s strength lies in dialogue and reconciliation, citing leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh. She urged the Home Minister to consider a compassionate reassessment, warning that permanently closing the door on Malik risks eroding fragile trust in Kashmir and deepening alienation.
Yasin Malik’s Affidavit In Delhi High Court
Mehbooba Mufti’s statement came after Malik filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court, claiming that his 2006 meeting with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan was arranged at the request of Indian intelligence agencies as part of a peace initiative. He alleged that then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh thanked him for his efforts after the meeting. Malik said his peace outreach was later “distorted” to brand him as a “terrorist.”
The affidavit also details his meetings with successive Indian Prime Ministers and cabinet ministers on Kashmir. Malik, who pleaded guilty in a terror-funding case in 2022, is currently serving a life sentence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought to enhance his sentence to the death penalty.
Yasin Malik’s revelations have sparked a political storm, with the BJP accusing the Congress-led UPA of compromising national security during its tenure.
