Malik submitted the affidavit before an additional sessions judge of a TADA/POTA court in Srinagar on August 27. In the document, he denied any involvement in the 1990 killing of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat but said he would no longer defend or pursue the case and wanted the court to give him the death penalty.

The affidavit was submitted by his lawyer, Abu Adil Pandit, who told International news agency BBC that he had recently met Malik in Tihar Jail, where the document was prepared. According to the lawyer, Malik wrote the affidavit himself and handed it over to him with instructions to submit it to the court.

Indian authorities, including officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) handling the Sarla Bhat murder case and Tihar Jail officials, also confirmed the existence of the affidavit.

Malik described the document as his “last statement” and said that after reflecting on his circumstances and performing Istikhara, a religious practice of seeking guidance from God, he had decided not to defend himself further.

He stressed that his decision should not be considered an admission of guilt or an acceptance of the prosecution’s allegations. Despite denying involvement in Sarla Bhat’s murder, he asked the court to sentence him to death.

Sarla Bhat was a nurse at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar. She was killed in April 1990, during a period when armed militancy was intensifying in Kashmir.

In the affidavit, Malik said investigators questioned him in Tihar Jail on June 2 and 3, 2026, about a handwritten note allegedly recovered from the crime scene and allegations that he had ordered Bhat’s killing.

Malik also referred to serious injuries he suffered in April 1990. He said he fell from a five-storey building on April 8, remained unconscious and required prolonged medical treatment. He questioned how he could have ordered the killing on April 19 while he was in such a condition.

He also mentioned an open-heart surgery he underwent in 1992, saying it left effects of paralysis on his face that remain visible.

Malik cited the book “My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir” by former Jammu and Kashmir governor Jagmohan, claiming that the book does not mention him in connection with Sarla Bhat’s murder.

A major part of the affidavit deals with Malik’s claimed contacts with the government of former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Malik said that after his release from jail in 2000, the BJP-led government began a dialogue process with him.

He claimed that he met several senior officials, including current National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who was then a senior Intelligence Bureau officer, as well as Shyamal Dutta and former National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra.

Malik also described his treatment in the United States, claiming that the Indian government had approved $50,000 for his medical treatment after he was examined at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He said he refused the money.

He further claimed that Pakistan’s ambassador to the US at the time arranged $30,000 through an associate for his medical expenses, which he also refused. According to Malik, the treatment was eventually paid for by the UK branch of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front.

BBC said it could not independently verify these claims.

Malik also alleged that his name was used for political purposes during India’s 2019 and 2024 elections and claimed that his image and meetings with former prime minister Manmohan Singh were repeatedly shown on Indian television in connection with the film “The Kashmir Files”.

The Indian government has not officially responded to Malik’s claims and allegations.

Malik Announces Decision Regarding Wife

In the final section of the affidavit, Malik wrote about his wife, Pakistani national Mushaal Hussein Mullick, and their daughter, Razia Sultana.

He said he had been unable to communicate with them for years and claimed he had not been allowed to speak to them by phone or through video calls.

Malik said he had decided to “free” his wife from their marriage, saying he did not want her to spend the rest of her life dealing with his circumstances.

He also referred to Nelson Mandela’s separation from his wife during his imprisonment while explaining his decision.

Addressing his daughter, Malik wrote that he had not heard her voice for eight years and said that her photograph was with him in his cell.

He said he continued to pray for her happiness, safety and a bright future.

Who Is Yasin Malik?

Yasin Malik, 60, was born in the Maisuma area of Srinagar. He became involved in political activity in Kashmir in the late 1980s and was among young activists who campaigned under the Muslim United Front against the National Conference in the 1987 elections.

In 1994, Malik announced that he would pursue a non-violent political struggle for a solution to the Kashmir issue and called for the participation of Kashmiris in talks between India and Pakistan.

In 2007, he travelled across Kashmir as part of his “Safar-e-Azadi” campaign, calling on young people to pursue peaceful political efforts.

He later met former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and called for dialogue on Kashmir.

Malik is married to Mushaal Hussein Mullick, and they have a daughter. Mushaal has said that she has been unable to visit him in India for several years.

Malik is currently serving a life sentence in Tihar Jail.