A section of lawyers in Jammu have opposed abrogation of Article 35A favored by the Jammu High Court Bar Association (JHCBA) and other Jammu based groups.
More than 300 lawyers of the province held a meeting at Justice Vinod Gupta Bar Hall under the chairmanship of former president Bar Association Jammu Advocate A V Gupta and unanimously passed a resolution for strengthening and retention of Article 35A of the Constitution of India.
The meeting was attended by the prominent lawyers including senior advocate and former advocate general Mohammed Aslam Goni, former Additional Advocate General S.C. Gupta, former assistant solicitor General of India K K Pangotra, former additional Advocate General Abdul Hamid Qazi, senior advocates Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed, Pawan Kundal, Murtaza Khan, M R Qureshi, Ehsan Mirza, Shah Mohammad Choudhary, A.H. Bhat.
In his presidential remarks, Advocate A V Gupta said that late Maharaja Hari Singh had executed a conditional instrument of Accession and Article 35-A which defined citizenship rights of the people of J&K was a product of this. He warned if Article 35-A or Article 370 was abrogated it would render J&K’s accession with Union of India “shaky”.
“Article 35-A is beneficial for the permanent residents of J&K State,” he said.
Former Advocate General and Senior Advocate M A Goni slammed the critics of Article 35A and expressed the need for creating mass awareness among the people of J&K regarding the retention of the constitutional provision.
Former Senior AAG S C Gupta said that those supporting scrapping of Article 35-A should first surrender their permanent resident certificates and then work in the state.
Former ASGI K K Pangotra strongly advocated the retention of Article 35-A and further submitted that it is only Jammu people who will be adversely affected with the influx of huge population from other States of India as no one will settle in Kashmir Valley and only the resources of Jammu shall be exploited at the cost of Jammu people.
Advocate Supriya Chouhan said that Article 35-A protects the local laws of J&K and also safeguards rights and privileges of the permanent residents of J&K.
Similar views were expressed by Advocates Rupika, Monika Bhagat and Zahida Parveen.
Former President Bar Association Doda Syed Asim Hashmi and former President Bar Association Poonch Raja Mohammad Abbas Khan also spoke on the occasion and complimented the senior members of Jammu Bar for organizing a meet to discuss the constitutional aspect of Article 35-A.
Both of them extended full cooperation and support to Peer Panchal and Chenab Valley lawyers and urged Jammu lawyers to visit Munsifl Bars and entire Jammu province for creating mass awareness regarding the retention of Article 35-A.
A number of Munsif and district bars also held meetings on the retention of Article 35-A. The President Bar Association Rajouri Advocate Haq Nawaz Mirza strongly supported the retention of Article 35A and similar views were expressed by President Bar Association Surankote Advocate Yasir Janjua.
Similar views were expressed by president Bar Association Mendhar Advocate Basharat Khan and advocates Sarwar Chouhan and Akbar Janjua.
President Bar Association Budhal/ Koteranka (Rajouri) Advocate Chaudhury Nazir and president Bar Association Thanamandi Advocate Shaheen Ajaz also spoke in favour of the retention of Article 35-A.
Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed conducted the proceedings of the meeting and thanked all the participants for enlightening the members of legal fraternity about the significance of Article 35-A and Article 370.