Mushaal Hussein Mullick, the wife of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik, who has been imprisoned for years, has written to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, urging him to raise her husband’s case in Parliament, Press Trust of India reported.
She asserts that Yasin Malik could play a pivotal role in bringing lasting peace to Jammu and Kashmir.
In her letter, Mullick highlighted the ongoing legal battle surrounding her husband’s trial, which stems from a sedition case that dates back over three decades. She emphasized that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought the death penalty for Malik in connection with the case.
Yasin Malik is also challenging an NIA appeal for the death sentence in a terror funding case at the Delhi High Court. The NIA filed charges in the 2017 terror funding case, which led to Malik’s life sentence in 2022 after he pleaded guilty.
Mullick further revealed that her husband has been on an indefinite hunger strike since November 2 to protest the harsh treatment he faces in prison. She warned that his deteriorating health poses a grave risk to his life, describing him as a man who, after renouncing violence, embraced the path of non-violence.
In her appeal to Rahul Gandhi, Mullick cited examples from various authors who have spoken about Malik’s transformation, not to glorify him but to underline his commitment to peace.
She also accused the current BJP government of persecuting her husband since 2019, alleging that he is being unfairly tried in old cases and facing politically motivated charges.
“I urge you, Rahul Ji, to use your moral and political influence in Parliament to initiate a debate on Yasin Malik’s case. He could be a crucial figure in bringing genuine, lasting peace to Jammu and Kashmir,” Mullick wrote.
The letter comes in the context of political developments in Jammu and Kashmir. Ahead of the recent assembly elections in the Union Territory, the Congress and Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) alliance promised autonomy for the region, contrasting sharply with the BJP-led government’s decision to revoke Article 370 and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories in 2019.