Islamabad, Muhammad Rafiq Dar, the Chief Spokesman of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), has asserted that Yasin Malik, the party’s chairman, is being unfairly penalized by the Indian government for his non-violent political views. Malik has been imprisoned in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail for over five years, a situation Dar describes as politically motivated by the administration of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Dar’s comments came in response to a recent incident where a poster featuring Malik and former Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was mysteriously displayed in New Delhi. He criticized the Indian government’s use of Malik’s image in what he calls an election stunt by the BJP-RSS coalition, aimed at discrediting their political opponents. Dar denounced the portrayal of Malik as a terrorist and the life sentence imposed on him in May 2022 on charges he claims are baseless and fabricated.
The JKLF spokesman condemned the Indian government’s actions against Malik as inhumane and illegal, aimed at suppressing the legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He highlighted Malik’s shift from violent to non-violent political activism in 1995 and noted that Malik’s approach is well recognized by various segments of the Indian political spectrum.
In addition to discussing Malik’s case, Dar also acknowledged the extension of Indian parliamentary elections to the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, which he labeled as a sham. He argued that elections held under the watch of a large military presence have not contributed to solving the region’s issues over the past three decades.
The statement also paid homage to Muhammad Ashraf Sehraie, a veteran Kashmiri Hurriyat leader, on his death anniversary, and expressed condolences for the recent passing of the brother of JKLF senior leader Mir Sirajuddin.