Protesting against biased trials of Yasin Malik
THE jailed Kashmiri leader, Mohammed Yasin Malik has been convicted by an Indian court on the terrorism related charges.
It appears that, grounds are being prepared to finally award him highest punishment which may include the judicial murder. Yasin Malik is the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).
He has been struggling against Indian rule in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) ever since the start of Kashmiri’s movement to get freedom from India in 1990.
He has been active freedom fighter until 1994; thereafter he resorted to political struggle for the right of self-determination of Kashmiris.
During his struggle for the right of self-determination of Kashmiris, Mr Malik was arrested many a time.
Indeed, he contested the IIOJK Legislative Assembly elections in 1987, but lost, since theelections were massively rigged by Indian authorities.
It is said that, 1987 Legislative Assembly (LA) election in IIOJK became a reason for Kashmiri uprisings and popular demand for freedom from India.
Whereas rigging of elections in IIOJK has been a practice ever since 1950s. Nevertheless, 1987 LA election in IIOJK was an extreme Indian act which provoked everyone.
It is said that, while Yasin Malik was in jail, Indian authorities constantly torture him with the intent to convert his loyalties from resistance movement to pro India stance.
He was offered key position in IIOJK or India, if he gives up the struggle. Nevertheless, this brave son of Kashmir refused and rejected all Indian offers.
Failure to convince him, Indian Government decided to try him on various terrorism related charges which are baseless, fake and victimization.
Kashmir and Kashmiris are being terrorized by India since last over three decades. It’s Indian security forces which have been terrorizing the Kashmiris to end their demand for their right of self-determination.
Until now, India has killed over 100,000 Kashmiris through various means; direct firing, custodial killing, fake encounter, torture to death and genocide of youth.
Yasin Malik was highlighting the Indian brutalities to international community which was constantly exposing Indian human rights violations to international community.
Besides, India had bigger plans about IIOJK to implement in the year 2019. In order to implement that plan, India stage-managed an event of terrorism in the Pulwama area of IIOJK on February 14, 2019.
Pulwama attack killed over forty soldiers of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), travelling from Jammu to Srinagar.
From its planning to execution, India wanted to achieve a political and strategic mileage from the Pulwama attack.
Politically, India wanted to tell the world that, whatever is happening in IIOJK, Pakistan and Pakistani backed organizations are behind those.
Besides, India wanted that the planned visit of Saudi Crown Prince to Pakistan should be concealed.
The long-term objectives included what later transpired in the form of undoing the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir by annexing it illegally as union territories in August 2019.
After Pulwama attack, “Yasin Malik was the first to be arrested” by Indian security forces from his Maisuma residence in Srinagar.
Later, thousands of Kashmiris were arrested, killed and tortured before Indian announced undoing the statehood of IIOJK on August 5, 2019.
while Mr Malik was purely leading the Kashmir Movement on political grounds, therefore levelling terrorism related charges against him is highly unjust and discriminatory.
As per Indian media, Malik has been charged with “terrorist acts, illegally raising funds, being a member of a “terrorist organisation”, criminal conspiracy, and sedition.
”On his part, Malik denied and protested the charges and said; “Terrorism-related charges levelled against me are concocted, fabricated and politically motivated.
If seeking Azadi (freedom) is a crime, then I am ready to accept this crime and its consequences.”
There has been systematically killing of the Kashmiri leadership of IIOJK ever since 1990. MirwaizMoulvi Muhammad Farooq was killed by Indian forces in a covert operation in May 1990, during the initial days of the Kashmiri movement against India.
Since he was a religious and political personality having influence over bulk of Kashmiri masses, thus eliminated soon after the start of uprisings against India.
From Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq to Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, hundreds of Kashmiri leaders were killed and tortured by Indian security forces.
Mohammad Afzal Guru, an innocent Kashmiri freedom fighter was politically murdered by Indian Supreme Court in February 2013.
Besides, India is undertaking the well planned campaign for the genocide of Kashmiri youth ever since the martyrdom of BurhanWani in 2016.
One after the other, India is eliminating the prominent Kashmiri leadership of Indian occupied parts of the Jammu and Kashmir.
This is being done with futuristic planning to deprive IIOJK from its original leadership. With a foresight and spirit of freedom from Indian yoke, Mr Yasin Malik has a clear road map for the future of Jammu and Kashmir.
Indeed, he is the ray of hope and an icon for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Once India is incriminating him on various baseless charges, the international community and human rights organizations must raise their voices and pressurize New Delhi to stop taking any illegal action against Mr Malik.
On its part, Pakistan must reach over to United Nations and all other forums at global level for the immediate stoppage of the discriminatory trial of Muhammad Yasin Malik by an Indian Court.
Indeed, condemnation and vague statements from Foreign Office of Pakistan without any practical step only create frustrations and chaos among those resisting Indian occupation and brutalities of its forces.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
