Mushaal Hussein Mullick, the wife of jailed Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief, Yasin Malik, wrote to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, urging him to initiate a debate in Parliament for her husband, who she claims can bring peace to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Mullick, a former assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on human rights and women empowerment, believes that Yasin Malik's role in the ongoing peace process in J&K is critical and that his plight must be addressed urgently.
"Rahul Ji, Yasin Malik could be a force for peace in Jammu and Kashmir, if only he is given a fair chance," Mullick wrote, urging the Congress leader to intervene before Malik's deteriorating health leads to irreversible consequences.
"The ongoing treatment of my husband is nothing short of torture, and I request you to help us secure justice for him," she added.
In a letter to Gandhi, Mullick drew attention to the ongoing legal battles her husband faces, particularly a decades-old sedition case in which the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has now demanded the death penalty.
Malik, who has been at the forefront of Kashmir's separatist movement, is currently involved in challenging the NIA's appeal for capital punishment in a terror funding case.
The NIA's charges stem from a 2017 investigation into terror financing involving Malik along with several others. In 2022, Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court after he pleaded guilty to the charges.
However, according to Mullick, Malik's detention and the demand for his death sentence are "part of a broader political vendetta."
She claimed that since 2019, the BJP-led central government has subjected Malik to "inhumane" treatment, and his trials have been "politically motivated."
"Malik is being tried for waging war against India in a 35-year-old case, and now, fabricated charges are being used to demand his execution," Mullick alleged in the letter.
She further stated that her husband, who once advocated for armed struggle, had renounced violence years ago, embracing the path of non-violence and peace.
"Yasin Malik can become an instrument for real peace in J&K, not the cosmetic peace that has been promised," she added.
Mullick also highlighted that since November 2, Malik has been on an indefinite hunger strike to protest his harsh treatment in jail. She expressed deep concern for his health, warning that the prolonged hunger strike could jeopardise his life.
"This hunger strike is a desperate cry against the cruel conditions he has endured, and it is putting his life at severe risk," she said.
Malik, she emphasised, chose the path of non-violence after renouncing armed resistance, a change of heart that has been acknowledged by various authors and peace advocates over the years.
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