Lawyers’ strike: Court work remains affected in Kashmir

Work in courts across the Kashmir Valley today remained badly hit for the second successive day.

Work in courts across the Kashmir Valley today remained badly hit for the second successive day due to the strike called by a lawyers’ group against the detention of its president.

The lawyers did not attended the courts,including the state High Court,in response to the Kashmir High Court Bar Association’s (KHCBA) two-day strike call.

The Association is demanding the immediate release of president Mian Abdul Qayoom.

The lawyers,who sat on a dharna last Saturday,had decided to go on strike against the detention of Qayoom in a Kathua jail.

Although the courts were functional,the proceedings in the cases could not be conducted,official sources said.

The lawyers alleged that Qayoom was being held in jail on false charges and the government was not even honouring the orders of the courts.

The KHCBA president,arrested in July last year,was booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for his alleged involvement in fuelling the last year’s summer protests.

Story continues below this ad

The High Court quashed his detention under the PSA,but the state government filed two separate cases against him and lodged him at a Kathua jail in Jammu region.

Qayoom was granted bail by the trial court earlier this week and was expected to be released Saturday. However,the relatives of the Bar president were informed that he has been slapped with a fresh case under the PSA.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram