Mehbooba Mufti urges Amit Shah to review Yasin Malik’s case with compassion
The row around Yasin Malik has reignited after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, on Friday, urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to view the case of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief through a “humanitarian lens,” reported news agency ANI.
Mufti took to the social media platform X to express her views, writing that although she differed with Malik’s political ideologies, it was “impossible to ignore the courage it took for him to renounce violence and choose the path of political engagement.”
“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,” the former Chief Minister stated.
In her letter to the Home Minister, Mufti emphasized that Malik’s story was complex and profound. She highlighted the significant transformation he undertook and the trust he placed in the State as key aspects that needed recognition.
“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 further read, according to ANI.
Mufti also pointed out Malik’s efforts in engaging in dialogues involving senior officials, intelligence personnel, and controversial figures such as Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed. She described these as painstaking and deliberate attempts to build bridges in a deeply fractured region.
“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,” Mufti wrote. “According to his sworn affidavits, this shift was neither unilateral nor impulsive but encouraged and facilitated through back-channel understandings with Indian agencies.”
She added, “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 expressed concern over the marginalization of Kashmiris and their exclusion from decisions that shape their lives. She stressed the need for change in the current conditions of the Union Territory to foster a secure environment conducive to democracy, development, and growth.
“It is unfortunate that Kashmiris remain marginalized and their voices excluded from decisions shaping their lives. The present conditions in the Union Territory must change to create a secured environment for democracy, development, and growth,” she stated.
Concluding her appeal, Mufti requested compassion and urged for reconsideration of Malik’s case.
“Closing the door forever on a man who chose peace risks shattering the fragile trust essential for a meaningful dialogue,” she wrote.
(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
