Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik has been convicted by a special NIA court in connection with terrorism and secessionist activities that disturbed the Kashmir Valley in 2017. Malik is expected to get life imprisonment.

The hearing arguments will begin on May 25, the court said deciding on the quantum of sentence for Yasin Malik. Special Judge Praveen Singh will hear the arguments regarding the quantum of sentence for the offences leveled against Malik, Time Now reported.

The Jammu and Kashmir leader had earlier pleaded guilty to charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

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Malik was charged under Section 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for the 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 Indian Penal Code (IPC). He reportedly didn't objected to the charges before the court, the report said.

According to the chargesheet filed in connection with the case, the charges were also filed against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin.

Besides Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam, former MLA Rashid Engineer, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Avatar Ahmad Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, alias Peer Saifullah and others have also been charged by the court.

"The above analysis reflects that the statements of witnesses and documentary evidence have connected almost all the accused with each other and to a common object of secession, to the commonality of means they were to use, their close association to terrorist/terrorist organisations under the guiding hand and funding of Pakistani establishment," the NIA special Judge Praveen Singh had said during the earlier hearing.