JK Government to defend Article 35-A on next date of hearing

Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir Government plans to defend article 35 A on next date of the hearing of the petitions filed to challenge its validity in the Supreme Court and one more counsel engaged recently will also appear on behalf of the state government to defend article 35 A in the top court of the country.

Talking to KNS news agency Secretary Law & Parliamentary Affairs, Jammu & Kashmir Government, Ab Majeed Bhat said “there would be apparently no change in the government’s stand on petitions filed to challenge Article 35 A on the next date of hearing. The Government will defend fully the article 35 A and one more counsel Tushar Mehta engaged recently will also appear to defend article 35 A on next date of hearing”.
Clarifying that all the counsels engaged previously by the government before the imposition of governor’s rule in the state will also continue to defend the Government in this case, Bhat also said a detailed report to defend the case is in the process of finalization and would be ready for placement before the supreme court if needed on the next date of hearing.
Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS) Advocate General D C Raina also said that the government will defend article 35 A on the next date of hearing in the supreme court of the country.
When asked about the possibility of any change in the government stand , Raina said “Obviously there is no change in the government stand on this case and I too have no received any fresh instructions from the government over its stand in the case.”
It is in place to mention here that former Law Minister and senior PDP leader Ab Haq Khan has recently said that the previous Mehbooba government had engaged three top lawyers of the country for defending article 35 A and paid them the counseling fee of Rs one crore.