Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (J&KHCBA) on Tuesday decided to defer its elections after the administration asked them to clarify its stand whether it sees Kashmir as “a dispute or an integral part of the country.”
“We have decided to defer the elections. New date is yet to be fixed,” said the Bar’s election commissioner Advocate Mudasir.
He said the new date for the polls will be announced after deliberations are held. The elections were scheduled to be held on Tuesday. However, they decided to defer the elections for some time after holding a meeting.
The development comes a day after three notices were issued to HCBA by the district magistrate Srinagar where it was asked to clarify its stand whether it sees Kashmir as “a dispute or an integral part of the country.”
On Monday, a notice was sent to the Bar Association that read that Jammu and Kashmir HCBA has reportedly circulated a press note convening election for various office bearers of association at Srinagar on November 10.
“The JKHCBA Srinagar constitute states the following as its first objective: to find ways and means take steps for resolving the issues concerning public at large including larger issues of peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute and for this purpose organize seminars, conventions, delegate its members to various places within and outside India to become members of other associations, bodies or forums which share common outlook with the associates,” reads the notice.
“You are required to explain your position on the subject, since its not in the consonance with the Constitution of India, whereby J&K is an integral part of the country and not a dispute; and also in conflict with the advocates act 1961 which governs the subject vis-à-vis administrative legal points,” it added.

KR Desk