Yasin Malik: The Unseen Architect of Kashmir’s Peace Process
Yasin Malik, a key Kashmiri separatist leader, revealed his pivotal role in backchannel peace talks with successive Indian governments over three decades. In a recent affidavit, he detailed clandestine collaborations and accused the government of erasing this history amidst his increasing legal challenges and renewed political tension in the region.
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Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik has disclosed his significant involvement in a state-approved backchannel peace negotiation structure spanning nearly thirty years. In an 85-page affidavit, Malik detailed his interactions with prime ministers, intelligence officials, and influential business leaders to advance peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
Currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail since 2019, Malik's statement follows the National Investigation Agency's appeal to enhance his life sentence to a death penalty concerning accusations of foreign funding connections to terror activities. Malik contends that these charges are an effort to erase the history of governmental collaboration with separatist movements.
Malik chronicled engagements with key political figures, recalling the initiatives led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the opposition's support for these peace efforts. Despite the de-escalation of long-standing hostilities, he claims the peace agreement was dismantled post-2019 with the revocation of Article 370, resulting in widespread political disillusionment.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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