Yasin Malik, born in Srinagar in 1966, has emerged as one of the most influential leaders in Kashmir’s struggle for freedom and political rights. His journey captures the transition of Kashmiri resistance from the revolutionary phase of the late 1980s to a movement increasingly shaped by civil resistance and international advocacy. His lifelong struggle embodies Kashmir’s dynamic history and the resilience of its people’s aspirations for independence, territorial integrity, national unity, and liberation from colonial domination and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle (United Nations General Assembly, 1983).

Malik’s path spans youthful activism in the tumultuous streets of Srinagar to his engagements with Indian and Pakistani prime ministers, international mediators, and leading human-rights organisations, underscoring his recognition as a legitimate political actor. Renowned as Chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and credited with helping to reorient aspects of the movement from armed confrontation toward dialogue and finding peaceful pathways to freedom, his career reflects both the volatility of Kashmiri politics and the endurance of its aspirations for self-determination. (Times of India, 2024; Hindustan Times, 2024; Bose, 2003; Kuszewska, 2022; Schofield, 2010).

This report provides a chronological account focused on Malik’s evolution as a political strategist—from formative activism and imprisonment, through the JKLF’s cessation of armed struggle and subsequent peace campaigns, to his international advocacy (including in the UK and the US) and later incarceration under Indian law. The analysis purposely excludes discussion of contested allegations and instead concentrates on verified aspects of Malik’s public role, his meetings with Indian and Pakistani leaders, his engagements with diplomats, interlocutors, human-rights organisations, and his representation as a civil and political resistance leader. (Associated Press of Pakistan, 2023).

As the Indian National Investigation Agency seeks to convert his life sentence into the death penalty, with a crucial hearing due in November 2025, Malik’s fate has become a question mark for the international community’s willingness to defend human rights in conflict zones. It's time to join the #FreePoliticalPrisoners in Jammu Kashmir Campaign. #FreeYasinMalik