Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association on Tuesday formed an adhoc committee and nominated advocate Nazir Ahmad Ronga as its convener after the government barred it from holding elections.
The adhoc committee will act till the holding of elections, said HCBA Election Commission vice-president advocate Muhammad Abdulla Pandit.
The HCBA polls were scheduled to be held today but were barred by the government.
In its meeting held in Srinagar, it decided to form an adhoc committee till the elections are held, Pandit said.
He informed that previous HCBA presidents, previously elected members and members of HCBA election commission and general body of the association participated in the meeting while adhering to COVID19 safety guidelines.
“It was unanimously decided that advocate Ronga will be the chairman of adhoc committee while those who had filed papers for contesting HCBA polls, previously elected members, members from HCBA Election Commission shall be its executive members,” Pandit said.
However, the former HCBA president Main Qayoom shall not be the part of HCBA executive members due to his ill health, Pandit said.
Pandit said that chairman of adhoc committee shall have all equivalent powers that of the elected president of HCBA.
The scheduled polls were deferred after notices issued to HCBA by the government wherein it was asked to clarify its stand whether it sees Kashmir as “a dispute or an integral part of the country.”
The notice to the HCBA read: “The JKHCBA constitution states the following as its first objective: “to find ways and means and 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 association.”
“You are required to explain your position on the subject, since it’s 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.”