I am a political leader, not terrorist: Jailed JKLF chief Yasin Malik to SC

Jailed JKLF chief Yasin Malik on Friday said in the Supreme Court that he was a "political leader and not a terrorist" and claimed seven Prime Ministers had engaged in a dialogue with him in the past.

Appearing via video-conferencing before a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, Malik referred to the submission of solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, that there were photos of him alongside terrorist Hafiz Saeed and it was covered by all national and regional dailies and television channels  "This statement has created a public narrative against me. The union government has not listed my organisation as a terrorist organisation under UAPA. It is pertinent to note that post a unilateral ceasefire in 1994, I was not only provided bail in 32 cases but none of the cases were pursued," Malik said.

He added, "During the dispensation during Prime Ministers P V Narasimha Rao, H D Deve Gowda, Inder Kumar Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr Manmohan Singh and even the first five years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They all followed the letter of ceasefire. Now suddenly the present dispensation in its second term has started trial of 35 year old militant cases against me. This is against the very ceasefire agreement."  Mehta argued the ceasefire was of no relevance in the present case.

The bench said it was not adjudicating the merits of the case and only deciding whether he should be allowed to cross-examine witnesses virtually.

Malik said he was replying to the CBI's argument that he could not be physically produced before the Jammu Court as he was a "dreaded terrorist.

"CBI's objection is that I am a security threat. I am responding to that. I am not a terrorist and only a political leader. Seven PMs have engaged with me. There is not a single FIR against me and my organisation supporting or providing any kind of hideout to any militant. There are FIRs against me but they are all related to my non-violent political protests," he said.

The top court refused him to physically appear in a couple of cases being tried in Jammu against him but asked him to cross-examine witnesses virtually from Tihar Jail.

The order came in a matter where the CBI has sought the transfer of the trials in the 1989 case of the kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of former union minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and the 1990 Srinagar shootout case, from Jammu to New Delhi.

The CBI also challenged the September 20, 2022 order of a Jammu trial court directing lifer Malik to be produced before it physically to cross-examine prosecution witnesses in the abduction case.