SRINAGAR: On directives from New Delhi, local authorities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir have prohibited elections for the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (HCBA).
The ban is reportedly due to the association’s constitution, which supports a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute.
According to the Srinagar district magistrate’s order, the decision comes on the heels of the arrest of former HCBA president Mian Abdul Qayoom.
The HCBA had announced the election on June 11, but the Registrar of Societies, Kashmir, claimed that the organization is not registered with their office. A report from the senior superintendent of police, Srinagar, also accused the HCBA of advocating for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
The district magistrate has asked HCBA to clarify its constitution, which calls for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue.
Legal experts have criticized the order, citing the internationally disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir under numerous UN resolutions, which call for a plebiscite to determine the state’s future.
