Jailed Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik told the Supreme Court on Friday that he is a “political leader and not a terrorist,” arguing that seven Indian Prime Ministers had engaged in dialogue with him in the past.
Appearing via video conferencing before a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, Malik responded to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) claims about his alleged links to militancy.
“The Union government has not listed my organisation as a terrorist outfit under UAPA,” Malik said, according to PTI. “After the ceasefire in 1994, I was granted bail in 32 cases, and none of them were pursued. Now, after 35 years, old militant cases are being revived against me. This goes against the ceasefire agreement.”
Malik also addressed CBI’s argument that he posed a security threat, preventing his physical production in court. “I am not a terrorist, but a political leader,” he insisted. “There is no FIR against me or my organisation for supporting or sheltering militants. My cases are related to non-violent political protests.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, argued that Malik’s past ceasefire was irrelevant to the current legal proceedings. He also mentioned media coverage showing Malik alongside militant Hafiz Saeed, claiming it shaped public perception against him.
The Supreme Court, while refusing Malik’s request to physically appear in the Jammu trial court, allowed him to cross-examine witnesses virtually from Tihar Jail.
