Srinagar: The J&K High Court Bar Association (JKHCBA) Kashmir Chapter has removed a controversial text seeking and advocating for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute.
The revised constitution prioritizes promoting the legal profession’s rights and interests, as well as those of its members the strength of which is about 3000 members.
District Magistrate Srinagar, in 2020, had sought an explanation of the controversial paragraph, which was included in a section about the association’s objectives. It stated that the bar “will find ways and means and take steps for resolving the issues concerning the public at large including the larger issue of a peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute”.
The magistrate claimed that the paragraph was “not in consonance with the Constitution of India, whereby J&K is an integral part of the country and not a dispute”.
In a letter on Friday, the bar association said: “Some changes in the constitution of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Kashmir, also became necessary after the Supreme Court judgement on Article 370 provisions on December 23, 2023 and, accordingly, were brought about.”
Association’s statement further said that JKHCBA was one amongst many political, social and non-governmental organizations, recognized under law, who had invoked jurisdiction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court against the constitutional changes that had taken place in August 2019,” the lawyers’ body added.
Pertinently, there have been two separate Bar Association under identical names and style of J&K High Court Association (JKHCBA) Srinagar and JKHCBA at Jammu. Both the Bar association responds differently to the professional, social and political issues.
