New Delhi, March 25 – India on Wednesday strongly criticised Pakistan over comments made in support of a terrorist organization and its members, stressing that Islamabad has no authority to speak on matters related to India and its judicial processes.
India's strong reaction came after the Pakistani Foreign Office issued a statement regarding the awarding of a life sentence to Kashmiri separatist leader Asiya Andrabi.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, said that Pakistan's statement condoning violence was not surprising, as Islamabad has been sponsoring terrorism for a long time. He urged Pakistan to introspect on its systematic human rights violations.
"We categorically reject the statement issued by Pakistan in support of a banned terrorist organization and its members. Pakistan has no authority to comment on matters internal to India or its judicial processes. However, we are not surprised that a country that has long been sponsoring terrorism has issued such a statement condoning violence and the killing of innocent people. Instead of spreading lies and frivolous narratives, Pakistan should introspect on the grave and systematic human rights violations it continues to perpetrate," read a statement issued by the MEA spokesperson.
A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced Andrabi to life imprisonment for offences including conspiracy to commit terrorist acts and waging war against the Government of India, while also awarding 30-year jail terms to her associates Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen.
Delivering the order on the sentencing, Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh of the Karkardooma Courts held that the actions of the convicts "struck at the very existence of India" and were aimed at the secession of Jammu and Kashmir, an integral part of the country.
The court stated that the evidence showed they "did not abhor violence" and, in fact, indirectly promoted it by glorifying slain militants and propagating secessionist ideology.
"While the actions of the convicted may not directly be the cause of inciting violence, they can instill the idea that Kashmir is not part of India and that India has illegally and hostilely occupied Kashmir, which can evoke sentiments that may lead people to adopt all kinds of methods, including violence," the court observed.
The case arose from an investigation by the National Investigation Agency in 2018, which alleged that the banned outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), headed by Andrabi, was using social media, public speeches, and other platforms to advocate for Jammu and Kashmir's merger with Pakistan.
The prosecution presented various videos, online posts, and other material purportedly showing the accused eulogizing militants, inciting unlawful activities such as stone-pelting, and promoting narratives rooted in the two-nation theory.
Andrabi was found guilty under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including Sections 18 (conspiracy for terrorist acts) and 20 (membership of a terrorist organization), along with IPC offences such as criminal conspiracy and waging war against the state.
Fehmeeda and Nasreen were also convicted under multiple provisions of the anti-terror law and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Rejecting any leniency in sentencing, the court, in view of the gravity of the offences, observed that activities aimed at destabilising the nation and promoting secessionist ideology warranted stringent punishment.
Andrabi, who founded the all-women separatist outfit in 1987, was arrested in April 2018. The organisation had largely become defunct following her arrest, the court noted.
