The controversy surrounding Yasin Malik has reignited after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to view the case of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief through a “humanitarian lens,” according to a report by news agency ANI.
Mufti, in a post on social media platform X, acknowledged her differences with Malik’s political ideologies but praised his courage to renounce violence and pursue political engagement. She wrote, “I’ve written to Shri Amit Shah ji to view Yasin Malik’s case through a humanitarian lens. While I differ with his political ideology, one cannot ignore the courage it took him to renounce violence and choose the path of political engagement and nonviolent dissent.”
In her letter to the Home Minister, Mufti emphasized that Malik’s story was complex. She highlighted the profound transformation he underwent and the trust he placed in the State by renouncing violence. “I earnestly appeal to your esteemed office for a compassionate and urgent review of the case of Yasin Malik, a name that once symbolized resistance, later chose restraint, and now remains silenced behind prison walls. His story is not simple, as no story born of conflict ever is. Yet what matters most is the profound transformation he undertook and the trust he placed in the State when he renounced violence and chose the path of political engagement and non-violent dissent,” the letter read, as reported by ANI.
Mufti further stated that Malik’s efforts included dialogues involving senior officials, intelligence personnel, and even controversial figures such as Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed. These discussions, she noted, represented a painstaking and deliberate attempt to build bridges in a deeply fractured region.
According to her letter, “Yasin Malik’s journey is no secret to the Indian State. In 1994, he took a courageous and rare decision to lay down arms and embrace political, non-violent means to pursue change. According to his sworn affidavits, this shift was neither unilateral nor impulsive but encouraged and facilitated through back-channel understandings with Indian agencies. Over the years, Malik engaged in dialogues involving senior officials, intelligence personnel, and controversial figures like Hafiz Saeed, all with the tacit consent of Indian agencies. These efforts represented a painstaking and deliberate attempt to build bridges in a deeply fractured land.”
Mufti described it as “unfortunate” that Kashmiris continue to be marginalized, with their voices excluded from decisions shaping their lives. She asserted that the current conditions in the Union Territory must change to foster a secure environment conducive to democracy, development, and growth.
In conclusion, Mufti appealed for compassion and reconsideration of Malik’s case, warning that “closing the door forever on a man who chose peace risks shattering the fragile trust essential for a meaningful dialogue.”
(With inputs from ANI)
https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/former-jammu-and-kashmir-cm-mehbooba-mufti-urges-amit-shah-to-review-yasin-malik-s-case-with-humanitarian-lens-23594850