Srinagar: The High Court of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir has reaffirmed a life sentence for senior Hurriyat leader Dr. Qasim Faktoo, upholding a 2012 decision that mandates his imprisonment for the duration of his natural life.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Dr. Faktoo, 57, was initially sentenced in 2003 based on allegations stemming from a 1992 murder case. Despite an acquittal in 2001 by a designated TADA court in Jammu, the verdict was overturned by the Indian Supreme Court in 2003 following an appeal by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Dr. Faktoo has been in custody since February 6, 1993.

In challenging the High Court’s 2012 ruling, Dr. Faktoo sought release after serving more than 20 years in prison. However, the court maintained that life imprisonment is to be served for the convict’s entire natural life unless explicitly remitted by the government. The bench, including Justice Sanjay Dhar and Justice M.A. Chowdhary, declared that remission of sentence could only be granted by an appropriate authority, not as a matter of right after a specific term.

Dr. Faktoo, born on November 13, 1967, in the Zaldagar area of Srinagar, is a noted scholar with a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies obtained during his incarceration. He is married to Aasiya Andrabi, a prominent Hurriyat leader and heads the Muslim League and the Muslim Deeni Mahaaz, an organization he founded.