'Muscular policy will backfire': PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti ahead of court's verdict on Yasin Malik

New Delhi, May 25: Ahead of court's verdict on Yasin Malik's terror funding case, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hit out at the government, opining that its 'muscular policies' would not work.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday sought death sentence for Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, who has been convicted in a terror funding case a few days ago.

Earlier, Malik was produced before the Patiala House court amid tight security.

During the course of the hearing before the Special Judge, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) argued for the death sentence to Malik.

Special judge Praveen Singh had on May 19 convicted Malik and had directed NIA authorities to assess his financial situation to determine the amount of fine likely to be imposed.

Malik is facing a maximum punishment of death penalty, while the minimum sentence for the offences committed by him is life imprisonment.

On May 10, Malik had told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him that included section 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act) and 20 (being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the IPC.

The court had, meanwhile, formally framed charges against Kashmiri separatist leaders including Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam, Md Yusuf Shah, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Khan, Md Akbar Khanday, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Abdul Rashid Sheikh and Naval Kishore Kapoor.

The charge sheet was also filed against Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, who have been declared proclaimed offenders in the case.