Srinagar: Kashmir High Court Bar Association (KHBA) president advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom has again been summoned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to its headquarters in New Delhi Thursday (today) in connection with terror funding in the state.
However, expressing serious reservations about summoning of Advocate Qayoom to the national capital, lawyers have decided to go on a strike Thursday (today) in Kashmir valley.
“We have unanimously decided to go on a strike Thursday (today) against the harassment and mental torture of Advocate Qayoom for no reason,” a member of KHBA told UNI.
“All district and Mufassil Bar Associations, besides HC lawyers in the Valley will abstain from court work Thursday (today),” he said.
He said the bar members will again meet on Friday morning to decide the further course of action. “Whether to continue the strike or end it, will depend on what happens Thursday (today) at New Delhi,” he added.
Courts across Kashmir valley remained deserted for four days till September 8 as lawyers abstained from work due to a strike called by KHBA, against NIA’s summon to Advocat Qayoom on September 6.
The HC Bar Association on September 7 also wrote an open letter to Chief Justice of India, Justice Dipak Misra, alleging that efforts were being made to frame Advocate Qayoom to prevent him from urging the cause of the people.
The letter further explained the reasons behind the strike in all courts called by the Bar Association for four days last week.
Meanwhile, chairmen of both the factions of Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Maulvi Umar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik have challenged the NIA to arrest them. Alleging that they are the main target of the NIA, the three leaders had announced to stage a protest dharna and court arrest at the headquarters of NIA at New Delhi on September 9.
However, Geelani and Mirwaiz remained under house arrest and Malik has been lodged in central jail, Srinagar to prevent them from protesting against arrest of separatists and businessmen by NIA.
However, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Range Muneer Khan said that the three separatist leaders were placed under house arrest and detained as they were mobilizing people to take out a rally, which could have resulted in serious law and order problem.
The separatists had decided to up the ante after 10 people, including spokespersons of both the factions of Hurriyat Conference and two sons and son-in-law of Mr Geelani, were arrested so far since July by NIA in connection with terror funding in the state.
The NIA between September 6 and September 7 conducted searches at seven places in Srinagar and on outskirts in the Valley, where the agency arrested two alleged stone pelters September 5 in connection with terror funding. Both the youth, one of them a freelance photojournalist, were sent to police custody for ten days.
The Bar Association in the letter to CJI had said that even though Advocate Qayoom has been summoned as a witness, they have reason to believe that there is more than what meets the eye.
The Bar Association had alleged that for quite some time now a new policy has emerged of involving men of consequence in criminal cases so as to prevent them from urging the cause of the people.
