By Zeenat Zeeshan Fazil
Copyright republicworld
Peoples Conference president and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone launched a blistering attack on Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, accusing her of political theatrics and hypocrisy over her recent appeal for clemency for banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yasin Malik.Addressing a press briefing in Srinagar Lone, who described a decades-long friendship with Malik from their college days, clarified that his criticism was not personal but aimed at exposing the “double standards” of Kashmir’s traditional political families, particularly the PDP and National Conference (NC). Mufti’s appeal, shared on the social media platform X, included a two-page letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging a humanitarian review of Malik’s case.Malik, convicted in 2020 for terror funding and sentenced to life imprisonment by a National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, now faces a death penalty demand in a case registered during Farooq Abdullah’s tenure as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.In her letter, Mufti portrayed Malik’s journey from a terrorist to a peace advocate, citing back-channel dialogues with Indian agencies during and after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s era.”I’ve written to Amit Shah ji to view Yasin Malik’s case through a humanitarian lens,” Mufti posted, adding, “While I differ with his political ideology, one cannot ignore the courage it took him to renounce violence.”Lone, however, questioned the motives behind Mufti’s letter, pointing out that Malik has never filed an appeal and has consistently stood by his narrative with courage.“So on whose advice has this mercy letter been written today?” Lone asked, noting that even if Malik were released in the cited case, multiple other charges, including one where a Mufti family member identified him, remain pending.“At that time, they trapped him, and today they shed tears. How long will this hypocrisy continue?” Lone said, accusing both PDP and NC of manipulating legal processes for political gain when in power and posing as human rights defenders when out of it.Tracing Malik’s legal troubles to 2002, during Farooq Abdullah’s tenure as Chief Minister, Lone alleged that false cases were fabricated against Malik to derail peace efforts and secure the political legacies of mainstream leaders.He claimed that during a period of track two talks between then-Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with rumors of the Hurriyat Conference exploring electoral politics, both Abdullah and Mufti’s father, Mohammad Sayeed, felt threatened by emerging political players.“This very case, in which the NIA now seeks the death penalty, was born out of that insecurity,” Lone said.Lone further criticized the “selective morality” of both PDP and NC, alleging they destroyed lives when in power while posturing as defenders of justice when out of it.He recalled a 2019 statement by Farooq Abdullah, who claimed he and Malik were on the same path, suggesting it was an election tactic.“And now, the punishment being demanded is in a case registered during his tenure,” Lone added.Directing his ire at Mufti, Lone called for an end to her “political theatrics.” “Both families must first seek forgiveness from the people of Kashmir before claiming to defend anyone on humanitarian grounds. As long as your hands are stained with false cases and blood, you have no moral right to use anyone’s sacrifice for political gain,” he said.Mufti’s appeal coincides with Malik’s recent affidavit in the Delhi High Court, where he claimed tacit support from Indian intelligence for his peace initiatives.
