Srinagar: Hours after Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti claimed she had written to the Union Home Minister seeking a compassionate review of Yasin Malik’s case, Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Monday slammed her, saying she had no right to speak of mercy for him, as a member of her own family had identified him as an accused in another case.
Addressing a news conference, as per KNO, Lone said Mehbooba lacks the moral authority to speak on Yasin Malik’s behalf. “Let us presume that the Government of India releases Yasin Malik in this case. There are other cases pending against him. In one such case, Yasin Malik has been identified by a member of Mehbooba Ji’s own family. He will be punished in that case. If she (Mehbooba Mufti) had truly been so merciful and sympathetic, she( her sister)would not have identified him,” he said.
Lone was referring to Rubaiya Sayeed’s identification of Yasin Malik during a hearing in 2002 before a Special TADA court.
The PC president also questioned Mehbooba Mufti’s motives behind writing a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and asked whether she consult Malik before seeking mercy for him. “In the affidavit that has gone viral on the internet, Yasin Malik has clearly stated that he has decided not to contest the case,” Lone said. “I want to ask Mehbooba Ji—at whose behest is she writing this letter? Has she even consulted him before sending it?”
He accused NC and PDP of hypocrisy, saying they go to any extent to imprison and even hang Kashmiris when in power, but once out of office, they talk about human rights violations. “I have decided that whenever these two families speak about human rights violations and mercy for Kashmiris, it is our right to remind the people of Jammu and Kashmir about what they did during their rule,” Lone added.
He said both these families must first seek forgiveness from Kashmir before seeking mercy for them. “As long as your hands are stained with blood, you have no moral right to use anyone’s sacrifice for political gains,” Lone said. (KNO)
