SRINAGAR — Hurriyat chairman and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on July 19 sought the intervention of judges of the J&K and Ladakh High Court into a series of arrests of lawyers in the past month, in the wake of erstwhile J&K High Court Bar Association’s plans to hold internal elections.
“If lawyers are put behind bars, who will fight people’s cases in courts? Who will defend their judicial rights? In this situation, it is incumbent upon the judiciary, including the judges, to take notice of this matter and intervene to do the needful,” the Mirwaiz said, in his Friday sermon at the Jama Masjid in Srinagar.
Several senior lawyers, who held positions in the JKHCBA, have been arrested in the past month. Former Bar chief Mian Qayoom, acting Bar chairman Nazir Ahmad Ronga, former general secretary Ashraf Bhat and Mr. Qayoom’s nephew advocate Mian Muzaffar were arrested and shifted to jails in the Jammu province, which is around 300 km from Srinagar.
“I am deeply concerned by the flurry of nocturnal arrests of senior functionaries and advocates of the JKHCBA and slapping of Public Safety Act. They have been dispatched to outside jails in the sweltering heat,” the Mirwaiz said.
He said it was distressing because these senior and reputed advocates are an important part of civil society. “They are being treated in this authoritarian manner. Today, it is lawyers. Tomorrow, it could be traders, shopkeepers or ordinary people. One fails to understand what the authorities want to achieve by such actions except to instil fear among people and alienate them further,” the Mirwaiz said.
The Mirwaiz said the administration, instead of releasing thousands of political prisoners, journalists, youth and others languishing in jails for years, is sending more locals into jails.
“Those in positions of power should discontinue the policy of arbitrary arrests and show humanity and compassion in dealing with the people of J&K. The lawyers should be released immediately. All matters can be addressed through dialogue instead of force,” the Mirwaiz said.
The JKHCBA has been disallowed elections by the administration and accused of “pro-secessionist” tendencies. Instead, Kashmir Advocates Association has been recognised as a new lawyers’ body by the court in Kashmir. — (The Hindu)