PRESS RELEASE
HCBA/RL/GBM/09-98 DATED:10-04-2009

In an extra ordinary joint meeting of members of the executive committee and advisory council of the bar association presided over by the President Mr. Mian Abdul Qayoom the present political scenario of the state of Jammu and Kashmir was discussed in between. It was observed unanimously by the members in the meeting that elections whether to local assembly or elections for the election to Indian parliament have no bearing on the disputed character of the state of Jammu and Kashmir nor these elections can be substitute to the demand of plebiscite for resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Elections have yielded no results till date in the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and have never been a step forward in the resolution process of the Kashmir dispute.

However, it is a reality that the candidates seek votes in the name of Roti Kapda aur Makan or in the name of Bijli Pani aur Sadak but the winning candidates and the Govt. of India present the same elections as a vote for peace and Indianisation in rest of the world. This misleading attitude of the Govt. of India and its surrogates in Jammu and Kashmir mislead the world community about the ground realities existing in Jammu and Kashmir. In this backdrop Bar Association feels it appropriate to apprise the general masses about this cheating process and appeal the voters not to vote and do not become a tool in this cheating process against their own common interest and road freedom.

In the meeting the pros and cons of the writ petition filed by professor Beam Singh in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir against the amendment to delimitation of constituency segments in Jammu and Kashmir were discussed and it was observed that the Muslim majority character of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is in the process of gradual decline and it is not worthy that Jammu region is projected as a larger political constituency by creation of new assembly segments as compared to Kashmir valley. This political orientation is aided and abetted by the state craft in Jammu and Kashmir and the Bar Association will fight against all such efforts which are likely to effect the political, geographical and religious demography position of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

It was observed in the meeting that already more than five lakh outsiders in Jammu region have been accorded state subject status when they are not either residents of Jammu and Kashmir nor are entitled to such state subject character.This process of according illegitimate state subjecthood to outsiders is resulting in changing the demography of the state. It was decided in the meeting that the Bar Association will enter into the proceedings of the said case which is put up for hearing on 11.05.2009 before the Division Bench of the Hon’ble High Court at Srinagar. And in this behalf all the senior lawyers have been requested to extend their hand of cooperation in making submissions before the Hon’ble High Court. It was further decided that the future course of action will be decided in this behalf in the next meeting of the Bar Association which is scheduled on 15.04.2009.

It was further observed that the political parties and the freedom leadership should not take this event with cynicism but should come out with their political expression on this curtail subject which effects each one of us.

G.N. Shaheen
General Secretary,
J&K High Court Bar Association.
Dated : 10.04.2009