Pakistani politicians fume after Yasin Malik gets life imprisonment in ‘sham’ terror funding case

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif described the day as a ‘black day’ for India's democracy. On the other hand, his foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, vowed to provide ‘all possible support’ to 'our Kashmiri brothers and sisters.’

Published on: May 25, 2022, 20:02:31 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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Pakistani politicians, who, over the last few days, have been expressing their solidarity with convicted Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik, reacted with ‘outrage’ shortly after the Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court on Wednesday in connection with a 2017 terror funding case.

Also Read | Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik gets life imprisonment in terror funding case

Shehbaz Sharif, who, last month, succeeded the ousted Imran Khan as the nuclear-armed state's prime minister, said the day was a ‘black day’ for India's democracy and justice system. “India can imprison Yasin Malik physically but it can never imprison the idea of freedom he symbolises. Life imprisonment for valiant freedom fighter will provide fresh impetus to Kashmiris' right to self-determination,” the PML-N leader wrote on Twitter.

PPP's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the foreign minister in the Sharif-led government, ‘strongly condemned’ Malik's ‘unjust' sentencing in a ‘sham’ trial.' He tweeted: "India can never silence Kashmiri's voice for freedom and self-determination. Pakistan stands with Kashmiri brothers and sisters, will continue to provide all possible support in their just struggle.

Also Read | Yasin Malik sentenced to life imprisonment under these charges

Their reactions came even as supporters of ex-premier Imran clashed with the Lahore Police as the former managed to push their way into Punjab in their bid to reach the Capital, Islamabad, where the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairperson is scheduled to hold a massive rally against the ‘imported’ government of Shehbaz Sharif.

Meanwhile, clashes broke out in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar as well, with supporters of Yasin Malik clashing with the J&K Police. Security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the agitators.

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