Srinagar, July 7: Authorities on Wednesday booked the president of the High Court Bar Association Mian Abdul Qayoom under Public Safety Act (PSA) and shifted him to Hira Nagar Jail in Jammu region.
 “Police didn’t furnish any grounds of detention ,” the Bar secretary G N Shaheen told Greater Kashmir.

He described Qayoom’s detention under PSA-- under this act a person is booked without trial for maximum period of 2-years --as an effort to muzzle voices of Kashmiris.
Qayoom is leading lawyer in the High Court pleading hundreds of cases relating to detention and other matters. “Arresting him amounts denial of counsel of their choice to the litigants and those who are in detention,” Shaheen said.
He said the Bar would boycott the courts across the Valley for 3-days over this unwarranted arrest. He said after the curfew is lifted joint strategy would be chalked out about the issue.
Family members of Mian Qayoom said a huge contingent of police, CRPF along with SHO Sheergari and SHO Sadder raided their Barzulla residence last night and asked Qayoom to accompany them.
Meanwhile, the Bar secretary described deployment of the Army in Srinagar as nothing new. “Jammu Kashmir has been under Army rule for the past 20- years,” he added.
He said at a time when Indian Army Chief describes Kashmir as  a political issue, the Government of India has come up with “senseless decision” to solve Kashmir through military means.  He said the Army presence would further deteriorate the situation.   

Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 8 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST