India rejects Pakistan’s remarks on Asiya sentencing
India on Wednesday strongly rejected Pakistan’s comments on the sentencing of Kashmiri separatist leader Asiya Andrabi, asserting that Islamabad has no locus standi to intervene in India’s internal affairs or judicial processes. Responding to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India “categorically rejects” any comments made in support of a banned terrorist organisation and its members.
“The reaction from Pakistan is not surprising,” Jaiswal added, pointing to a long-standing pattern of backing terrorism. “Instead of peddling lies and frivolous narratives, Pakistan should introspect on the grave and systematic human rights violations it continues to perpetrate,” the MEA statement said. The remarks come a day after a Delhi court sentenced Andrabi to life imprisonment in a terror-related case. Two of her associates, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, were handed 30-year jail terms.
The order was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh at the Karkardooma Courts, who noted that the actions of the convicts threatened the “very existence of India” and were aimed at the secession of Jammu and Kashmir.
The court observed that the accused had not abhorred violence, but instead indirectly promoted it by glorifying militants and propagating a secessionist ideology.
The case stems from a 2018 investigation by the National Investigation Agency into the activities of the banned outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat, founded by Andrabi. The prosecution alleged that the group used social media, public speeches, and other platforms to advocate for Jammu and Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan.
Andrabi was convicted UAPA, including charges related to conspiracy for terrorist acts and membership of a terrorist organisation, along with offences under the Indian Penal Code such as criminal conspiracy and waging war against the State.
The court rejected pleas for leniency, stating that activities aimed at destabilising the nation and promoting secessionist ideology warranted stringent punishment, reinforcing India’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism.
