Jammu lawyers to protest against Bar decision

Jammu lawyers have decided to hold peaceful demonstrations against the Jammu Bar Association’s decision to suspend basic membership of two eminent lawyers after they expressed their views in favour of Article 35-A.

Hurt with the way Jammu High Court Bar Association treatedsenior lawyers, large numbers of advocates assembled in the High Court todayand discussed the prevailing situation.

   

Chairing the meeting, Advocate Jameel Qazmi said that theyare ready to resign from the membership en-masse if Jammu Bar did not stop forcinga political agenda on other Bar members which is unconstitutional.

Jammu Bar should revoke the suspension of the two eminentlawyers immediately, otherwise the lawyers will come on roads.

He said that it was necessary to express solidarity with theformer Jammu Bar president Adv AV Gupta and former AAG SC Gupta who expressedtheir personal views in favour of special status, and termed Jammu Bar’sdecision as ‘politically motivated.’

“For now, we have decided to hold peaceful demonstrationswith placards and black cloths as a mark of protest on August 3rd at the HighCourt complex at 10:30 AM against the decision of Jammu Bar president and itsexecutive committee,” said Kazmi, while speaking to Greater Kashmir.

The meeting resolved that in case the suspension of theeminent lawyers is not recalled then future course of action will be chalkedout including en-masse resignation from the membership of the Bar.

Advocate Kazmi appealed to all the Muffasil and District BarAssociations of Jammu Province to hold peaceful demonstrations for expressingsolidarity with two senior members of the Bar tomorrow.

In his presidential remarks, Advocate Jameel Ahmed Kazmirecalled his more than 40 years of association with Jammu Bar and condemned thearbitrary suspension of his two senior colleagues who had expressed their viewson the strengthening and retention of Article 35-A of Indian Constitution.

“Nobody in Jammu Bar can thrust his/her political ideologyto appease their political bosses for their personal gains as this Bar hasremained apolitical since its inception,” he said, adding all the members ofJammu Bar to remain united and not to be misled by a particular ideology beingthrusted by those who are at the helm of affairs.

Speaking on the occasion, Advocate Pawan Kundal lambastedthe decision of the Bar and opined as to whether Bar has the mandate toregulate the freedom of speech and expression of its members and whether suchtype of conditions can be imposed on the members of legal fraternity.

Kundal said if such an agenda will be pursued then he doesnot want to be associated with such an Association.

Adv Ashok Basotra vociferously urged for en-masseresignation in case the arbitrary suspension of the two senior advocates is notrecalled. “Bar members will not allow communal agenda to be pursued forpolitical gains by those who are at the helm of affairs of Jammu Bar,” headded.

A young lawyer, Supriya Singh Chouhan, said snatching offundamental right of freedom of speech and expression of members of legalfraternity was not acceptable.

Former Govt Advocate and a prominent Gujjar leader AnwarChowdhary demanded no confidence motion against the office bearers of Jammu Barfor such an unconstitutional decision of suspending two eminent members of theBar.

“Jammu Bar is being communalized by a section of members fortheir political gains,” said Adv Hussain Ahmed Farooqi, while expressingserious concern.

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