India strongly criticized Pakistan for supporting a terrorist organization and its members, emphasizing that Pakistan has no authority to comment on Indian matters or judicial processes. The reaction from New Delhi came after Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a statement regarding the life imprisonment sentence given to Kashmiri separatist leader Asiya Andrabi. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Pakistan’s endorsement of violence is not surprising, given its history of sponsoring terrorism. India urged Pakistan to reflect on its systematic human rights violations.
A Delhi court recently sentenced Asiya Andrabi to life imprisonment for various offenses, including conspiring to commit terrorist acts and waging war against the Indian government. Her associates, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, received 30-year jail terms. The court highlighted that the actions of the convicts aimed at the secession of Jammu and Kashmir, posing a threat to India’s integrity.
The court observed that the convicted individuals did not denounce violence and indirectly promoted it by glorifying militants and advocating secessionist ideologies. The case, stemming from a 2018 investigation by the National Investigation Agency, revealed that the banned outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat, led by Andrabi, was using various platforms to push for Jammu and Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan.
Andrabi, who established the all-women separatist group in 1987, was arrested in 2018, leading to the organization’s decline. The court found Andrabi guilty under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code, along with her associates. The court emphasized the seriousness of destabilizing activities and promoting secessionist ideologies, warranting strict punishment for the offenders.
