ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday asserted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed ministries to raise the ‘unfair’ conviction of senior Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik after Indian court convicted him in a terror-financing case.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Malik’s wife, Mushaal, the minister said, “The human rights and law ministries will soon devise a complete plan of action, which would cover legal and diplomatic bases, as well as those of the violations of human rights conventions and agreements, and present their recommendations to the prime minister and we will formally announce them.”
Marriyum Aurangzeb explained that the ministries have been directed to take up steps to prevent Yasin Malik’s sentencing. “India had framed fake cases of terrorism against Malik”, she said, adding that sudden court proceedings against him were contrary to justice and human rights.
“Yaseen Malik had not been accused of any negative activities till date as he was struggling for freedom of Kashmir through peaceful means”, the minister said adding that Yasin Malik had dedicated his entire life to Kashmir cause. She further said that India was conspiring to sentence him to death or life imprisonment through this fake case.
“Fake cases were filed against Malik and he was immediately indicted and date for his sentence was set,” the minister said, adding that “the basic issue is that India has violated human rights conventions, protocols and laws of which it is a signatory”.
“Why is Indian afraid of letting one man speak? Why is it afraid of allowing a free and fair trial? Why is it afraid of giving fundamental rights?” the information minister asked.
She added that it was the responsibility of the international community to raise the open violation of Malik’s human rights. “Everything is being written in history and the international community — all of us — will have to be answerable,” she added.
Marriyum said it was “heart-wrenching” that Mashaal had not met her husband since September 2014, when their daughter Razia Sultana was only two years old.
She further said that India was trying to create division among Kashmiris through the religious card, but it would fail in its nefarious and unholy designs. “The Kashmiri people had never been and would never be slaves of India despite its bullying and barbarism,” she added.
The minister also lambasted the Modi government for stripping occupied Kashmir of its special autonomous status, calling the move a “violation” and “unacceptable”.
The Kashmir issue, she said, would be resolved in line with the United Nations (UN) resolution and as per the will of the Kashmiri people. Marriyum also paid tribute to other Kashmiri leaders.
