New Delhi: Mushaal Hussein Mullick, the wife of jailed Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik, has written to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, urging him to raise her husband’s case in Parliament and seek justice for him. In her letter, Mullick emphasized Malik's potential role in bringing lasting peace to Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that his voice is critical for the region's future.
Mullick, a former assistant to Pakistan’s Prime Minister on human rights and women’s empowerment, expressed deep concern over Malik's deteriorating health, urging Gandhi to intervene before it reaches irreversible consequences. She described his treatment in custody as "torture" and called for an end to the inhumane conditions.
In her letter, Mullick highlighted the ongoing legal battles Malik faces, including a long-standing sedition case in which the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought the death penalty. Malik, a key figure in Kashmir's separatist movement, is currently challenging the NIA’s appeal for capital punishment following his conviction in a 2017 terror funding case. While Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 after pleading guilty, Mullick believes the charges and the death penalty demand are politically motivated.
She argued that Malik, who once supported armed resistance but later renounced violence, can now be a force for genuine peace in the region. “Yasin Malik can become an instrument for real peace in Jammu and Kashmir, not the cosmetic peace that has been promised,” Mullick wrote.
Mullick also drew attention to her husband’s ongoing hunger strike, which he began on November 2 in protest of his treatment in jail. She warned that his life was at serious risk due to the prolonged strike and urged Gandhi to take action to secure justice for him.
Mullick reiterated that the BJP-led government has subjected Malik to harsh treatment since 2019, with his trials being politically charged. She called for an urgent reassessment of his case, claiming that the charges against him, dating back 35 years, were fabricated.
(IANS with edits)