They killed our father, now they146;re after us: Sajjad Lone

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Sajjad
Lone

People8217;s Conference chief Sajjad Lone has said that he and his brother, Bilal Lone, are living under a severe threat to their lives and sought adequate security. 8220;Otherwise, the government will be responsible for facilitating our assassination as happened when our father Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone was martyred.8221; He was speaking to The Indian Express in an exclusive interview.

8216;8216;History is being repeated and the same environment which was created for my father8217;s assassination is being created for me and my brother,8217;8217; he said. 8216;8216;Every actor is performing the same vicious role and lack of security and a conducive environment is already there.8217;8217;

He recalled that similar allegations had been levelled against his father. 8216;8216;And when after his death we took over, even as toddlers in politics, we had to face the same allegations. I am pained to note the notorious levels to which the standards of Kashmiri politics have fallen where popular support has become a liability,8217;8217; he complained. 8216;8216;Is it a crime to have popular support?8217;8217; Sajjad said the Government knew about the intensity of the threat against them but was being insensitive. 8216;8216;They knew the level of threat against my father8217;s life and did nothing till he was assassinated. In fact, we had asked for more security. That is why I believe that two sets of people were involved in his assassination 8212; those who killed him and those who facilitated his murder. And I believe that the Farooq Abdullah government facilitated his assassination by not providing enough security.8217;8217;

Sajjad reiterated the official stance of his party that they won8217;t join the elections but observed that the massive participation of the people in poll process in PC strongholds of Handwara and Kupwara was unnerving. 8216;8216;I think there are lots of lessons to be learnt from it,8217;8217; he said. 8216;8216;It certainly shows the public mood and our leadership needs to think about it with logic.8217;8217;

Asked what would be his party8217;s course of action since the Hurriyat leadership believes that the PC has betrayed it by fielding its leaders as independent candidates, Sajjad said the party was not contesting the polls but also won8217;t condemn those PC leaders who have joined the fray after resigning from the party. 8216;8216;We are responsible only for those who are with us.8217;8217;

Muzamil Jaleel

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More