The Governor’s administration on Wednesday fired all the 44 public prosecutors and assistant public prosecutors engaged in the three-and-a-half-year rule of the PDP-BJP government.
An order issued by the Law Secretary said the government,exercising powers conferred by Criminal Procedure Code and Jammu & KashmirLaw Officers (appointment and conditions of service) Rules 2016, terminates theservices of all the public prosecutors/assistant public prosecutors working invarious courts across the state with immediate effect.
The PPs and APPs defend the state government in criminalcases in sessions and additional sessions courts.
Their termination comes almost a year after the collapse ofthe Mehbooba Mufti-led government following withdrawal of support by BJP to it.
A senior official, wishing anonymity, told Greater Kashmirthat this exercise is part of government’s efforts to cleanse theadministration from political appointees.
“Most of them were appointed on recommendations of ministers,MLAs, MLCs and political functionaries,” he claimed.
Immediately after terminating their engagement, thegovernment has constituted a high-level committee for making recommendationsfor selection of new public prosecutors.
The committee has been asked to complete the exercise within15 days.
Immediately after the PDP-BJP government’s alliance forpower-sharing in the state came to an end, the advocate general and other toplaw officers were asked to put in their papers.
Apart from them, 27 political appointees engaged in variousboards and corporations by the previous PDP-BJP government had also resigned.