Kumar Bahukhandi
Kashmir’s hardline separatist leader Asiya Andrabi (right) and three of her associates. (File Photo: ITG)
A special court in Delhi has sentenced Kashmiri separatist leader Asiya Andrabi to life imprisonment, while her associates have been handed sentences of 30 years each. All three were convicted under various sections of the UAPA and the IPC.
New Delhi : On Tuesday March 24 , 2026 , a special court in Delhi sentenced Kashmiri separatist Asiya Andrabi to life imprisonment in a terror-related case filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Her associates, Sofi Fahmida and Nahida Nasreen, were sentenced to 30 years in prison each. The court had convicted the trio on January 14 of this year for their involvement in activities linked to the banned organization, Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM).
This organization has consistently demanded the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from India and was founded by Asiya Andrabi herself. The court found Asiya guilty under several sections of the UAPA, including Section 18 (conspiracy) and Section 38 (membership of a terrorist organization). Additionally, she was convicted under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to criminal conspiracy and waging war against the nation.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had sought a life sentence for Andrabi from the court. The agency argued that she had waged war against India and that it was essential to send a strong message to deter such activities. According to the NIA, the accused utilized their banned organisation, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, to spread unrest and promote separatism in Jammu and Kashmir. The agency also informed the court that a total of 33 FIRs are registered against Andrabi in Jammu and Kashmir, while 9 and 5 cases are registered against Fahmida and Nasreen, respectively.
Who is Asiya Andrabi?
Asiya founded Dukhtaran-e-Millat as a conservative Islamic organization, but behind this facade, she was involved in separatist activities. In 2018, the Central Government declared it a terrorist organisation and imposed a ban on it. Born in 1963, Andrabi graduated in Home Science from a college in Srinagar. She had planned to go to Darjeeling for further studies but did not receive permission to do so. Later, she turned towards Islamic literature and joined the women’s wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, which was banned in 2019.
In 1985, Asiya broke away from Jamaat-e-Islami and established Dukhtaran-e-Millat. In 1991, the organisation made headlines for its campaign to enforce the Purdah system in Kashmir. In 1990, she married separatist leader Ashiq Hussain Faktoo, who is currently serving a life sentence in connection with the 1992 murder of Kashmiri Pandit leader H.N. Wanchoo. Asiya Andrabi is a mother of two and was first arrested in 1993; subsequently, she was taken into custody on numerous occasions.
