JKLF terrorist Yasin Malik, currently serving a life sentence in Tihar Jail for terror funding, has made a sensational revelation in an affidavit before the Delhi High Court. Malik alleged that in 2006, he met 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan not on his own initiative but at the behest of the then UPA government, during a secret peace process with Pakistan.

IB’s Role in the Meeting

According to Malik, before leaving for Pakistan, he met VK Joshi, then Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), who instructed him to interact with Pakistani politicians and even leaders of terror outfits. Malik claimed Joshi told him that peace talks with Pakistan would succeed only if “terrorist leaders were also included.”

PM Singh Expressed Gratitude

Malik further stated that after returning from Pakistan, he briefed the IB and was told to immediately meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. At that meeting, which was also attended by National Security Advisor N.K. Narayanan, Malik said Singh thanked him for his efforts and even described him as the “father of the non-violent movement in Kashmir.”

Political Storm Around the Claims

Malik insisted that his meeting with Saeed was later misrepresented as proof of links with terror groups, though it was part of the peace process. He also revealed that successive governments, from V.P. Singh to Manmohan Singh, engaged with him on the Kashmir issue and facilitated his international advocacy.

BJP’s Reaction

Reacting strongly, BJP General Secretary Tarun Chugh accused the Congress of compromising national security. He said, “It is now clear that Yasin Malik, responsible for the killings of innocent people including Air Force officers, was engaging with terrorists at the behest of the Congress-led government. From 2004 to 2014, the UPA rolled out red carpet receptions for such figures.”

Chugh directly targeted Rahul Gandhi, asking, “What game was your party playing behind the scenes during the major terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir and across India?”