Mehbooba Mufti urges Amit Shah to view Yasin Malik's case through "humanitarian lens"

New Delhi [India], September 19 (ANI): Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday, in a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, urged him to view the case of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Yasin Malik through a "humanitarian lens".
In a post on X, Mufti wrote that even though she differed with the political ideologies of Malik, it was impossible to ignore the courage 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 non violent dissent . pic.twitter.com/vbAMeHYDIv

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) September 19, 2025

"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 non violent dissent," the post read.
In her letter to Shah, Mufti wrote that Malik's story was no simple one, and the profound transformation undertaken by him, along with the trust he placed in the State, is what mattered.
"I earnestly appeal to your esteemed office for a compassionate and urgent review of the case of Yasin Malik, a name that once symbolised 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.

She further stated that Malik's efforts while engaging in dialogues involving senior officials, intelligence personnel and controversial figures like Hafiz Saeed represented a painstaking and deliberate attempt to build bridges in a deeply fractured land.
"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 even 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," the letter read.
Bringing light to the changes needed, Mufti wrote in the letter that it was unfortunate that Kashmiris remained marginalised and their voices remained excluded from decisions shaping their lives; the given conditions must change if a secure environment for democracy, development and growth has to be built in the state.
"The world is rapidly changing, and hostility appears to be triggering a reset in global politics. Yet India need not reinvent the wheel to secure its strategic and economic interests. Visionary leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji and Dr Manmohan Singh understood and pursued with quiet conviction that our country's enduring strength flows from dialogue, not domination. Trust in the people of Jammu and Kashmir is fundamental. Unfortunately, we Kashmiris remain marginalised, our voices excluded from decisions that shape our lives. This must change if durable peace and a secure environment for democracy, development, and growth in Jammu and Kashmir, and indeed the region and country, are to be realised. Brute force must give way to the healing touch of dialogue, and constitutional rights must be restored," the post read.
Further in her letter, Mufti requested compassion and consideration of Malik's case, stating that "closing the door forever on a man who chose peace risks shattering the fragile trust essential for a meaningful dialogue."
"I humbly request you to initiate a compassionate and considered review of Yasin Malik's case. Closing the door forever on a man who once chose peace risks shattering the fragile trust essential for meaningful dialogue. If that trust breaks irreparably, every Kashmiri feeling disillusioned and abandoned will withdraw from engaging with the Indian government towards the larger vision of peace and reconciliation. Such an outcome would perpetuate the cycle of conflict and alienation and extinguish hope for healing this fractured land for generations to come," the letter further read.
Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 after pleading guilty under the UAPA. The trial court held that his case did not fall under the "rarest of rare" category for awarding the death penalty.
The NIA has accused Malik and others, including Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, and Shabbir Shah, of conspiring with Pakistan-based groups to fuel unrest in Kashmir.
Earlier this year, a tribunal extended the ban on JKLF for another five years, observing that "no tolerance can be shown" to organisations advocating secessionism. (ANI)