Yasin Malik abducted Mehbooba Mufti’s sister 36 years ago, she now writes to Amit Shah for ‘urgent review’

Her sister, Dr. Rubaiya Sayeed, had, on July 15, 2022, identified Malik and three others as her abductors. She was kidnapped near Lal Ded Hospital on December 8, 1989, and released five days later after the then VP Singh government freed the five militants in exchange.

In a three-page letter shared on X, the Peoples Democratic Party chief described Malik’s journey as a “profound transformation,” saying he placed trust in the State after renouncing violence and choosing non-violent political engagement.

She said the letter is “not in defiance but in faith, faith in the promise of reconciliation and in the belief that this great nation, even in its most challenging moments, can still choose healing over hurt.”

“I earnestly appeal to your esteemed office for a compassionate and urgent review of the case of Yasin Malik, a name that once symbolized resistance, later chose restraint, and now remains silenced behind prison walls,” she wrote.

According to Mehbooba Mufti, Malik’s 1994 decision to give up violence and pursue political dialogue was deliberate and encouraged, saying, “Yasin Malik’s journey is no secret to the Indian State… According to his sworn affidavits, this shift was neither unilateral nor impulsive but encouraged and facilitated through back-channel understandings with Indian agencies.”

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on August 11 sought the death penalty for the separatist leader in the terror funding case. The court gave Malik four weeks to submit his response and scheduled the next hearing for November 10.

The government says that Malik, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022, was involved in activities threatening the country’s sovereignty.

She wrote, “Over the years, Malik engaged in dialogues involving senior officials, intelligence personnel, and even controversial figures like Hafiz Saeed, all with the tacit consent of Indian agencies. These efforts represented a painstaking and deliberate attempt to build bridges in a deeply fractured land.”

She also added that denying Yasin Malik a review could damage trust, discourage dialogue with the government, and perpetuate conflict and alienation in the region.

“I humbly request you to initiate a compassionate and considered review of Yasin Malik’s case. Closing the door forever on a man who once chose peace risks shattering the fragile trust essential for meaningful dialogue. If that trust breaks irreparably, every Kashmiri feeling disillusioned and abandoned will withdraw from engaging with the Indian government towards the larger vision of peace and reconciliation,” she added.