Manmohan thanked me for meeting LeT founder: Separatist Yasin Malik
What's the story
Former Kashmir separatist leader Yasin Malik has claimed that he was engaged by six governments, from VP Singh to Manmohan Singh, to discuss the Kashmir issue. He made these claims in a detailed written submission before the Delhi High Court. The submissions were made in response to a plea by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking death for him in a terror funding case.
Terrorist meeting
Malik met terrorist Hafiz Saeed on IB's request: Claim
In his submissions, Malik revealed that he met Pakistan-based terrorist and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed at the request of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Special Director VK Joshi in 2006. He said this was done on the pretext that "militancy and peace dialogues cannot go in tandem" after a bomb blast in Delhi. After this meeting, Malik claimed he briefed then-Prime Minister Singh and National Security Advisor NK Narayanan about his discussions with Saeed.
Claims
'Meeting was portrayed in different context against me'
"I briefed him [PM Manmohan Singh] on my meetings and appraised him on the possibilities, where he conveyed his gratitude me for my efforts, time, patience and dedication," he said. "But as luck would have it, this meeting of mine with Hafiz Saeed and other militant leader of Pakistan which was initiated and executed only on the request of Special Director IB VK Joshi, was portrayed in a different context against me," he stated.
Political involvement
Malik claimed Ajit Doval visited him in jail
Malik also spoke of his engagement with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government. He said then IB Special Director Ajit Doval visited him in jail in the early 2000s and arranged a meeting with IB Director Shyamal Dutta and National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra. During this meeting, they told him that the prime minister was serious about resolving the Kashmir issue through dialogue.
Campaign efforts
Malik was invited for formal dialogue in 2006
Furthermore, he stated that he met with Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Communist leaders to persuade them to support then-PM Vajpayee's Kashmir peace process. In 2002, Malik said he launched a signature campaign across Jammu and Kashmir to promote a non-violent democratic culture. He gathered 1.5 million signatures for this campaign over two-and-a-half years. After the Congress came to power in 2004, he was invited by PM Singh for a formal dialogue in 2006 on resolving the Kashmir issue.
International role
Other key claims made by Malik
Malik also claimed he was roped in by governments to speak on international platforms about the Kashmiri cause. He also denied allegations of genocide and gang rape of Kashmiri Pandits, saying he would hang himself if true. Further, Malik denied supporting stone-pelting after Burhan Wani's encounter in 2016. The case before the high court is scheduled for hearing in November.