A day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sought death penalty for separatist leader Yasin Malik who is currently lodged in the Tihar jail, Kashmir mainstream politicians disagree with the decision.
On Friday, the NIA approached the Delhi high court seeking death penalty for separatist leader and chief of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Yasin Malik, who was awarded life term by a trial court in a terror funding case. A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh will hear the matter on May 29.
On May 24, 2022, a trial court awarded life imprisonment to Malik after holding him guilty of various offences under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code.
Malik was convicted after pleading guilty to charges related to terror funding, spreading terrorism and secessionist activities in Kashmir in 2017. “In a democracy like India where even the assassins of a Prime Minister were pardoned, the case of a political prisoner like Yasin Malik must be reviewed and reconsidered. The new political ‘ikhwan’ gleefully supporting his hanging are a grave threat to our collective rights,” tweeted former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Lone termed the NIA plea as dangerous that could impact situation in Kashmir.
{{/usCountry}}Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Lone termed the NIA plea as dangerous that could impact situation in Kashmir.
{{/usCountry}}Lone also sought punishment for those who created Yasin Malik a veiled reference towards rigged elections of 1987. Former minister Lone said the rigged elections created people like Yasin Malik.
Lone said when the Central government was holding talks with active militants of the HM, the chief minister’s office of that time leaked the venue of the talks which was supposed to be a secret. “The militants arrived at Nehru Guest House presuming total secrecy and a perfect hideaway. To their astonishment, hundreds of media men were already there and they were left red faced. They didn’t even have handkerchiefs to cover their face. Most of them were subsequently killed by “unidentified persons”. And that was the end of talks.”
Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu said he disagrees with plea seeking death sentence for Yasin Malik. “I disagree with Yasin Malik’s ideology and have stood to unequivocally oppose his views and his past all my life with an unwavering conviction. However, seeking a death penalty for him doesn’t help anyone but his ideological narrative. Justice isn’t a path taken vindictively.”