Muzamil Shah
Srinagar: Kashmir High Court Bar Association on Tuesday announced to sue a national television channel for ‘malicious’ campaign against its president Mian Abdul Qayoom, who has been summoned by NIA to New Delhi in connection with a case registered at the behest of government of India.
“The Bar Association clarifies that the Bar President has inherited a house at Bulbul Bagh, Barzulla Srinagar from his father and has also constructed a house on proprietary land after obtaining due permission from the Municipal authorities, besides a flat at Delhi. He has no property in Jammu or at Hyderpora, Peerbagh, Zakura, Lal Bazar, Lasjan Pantha Chowk or a shopping complex at any unknown place as alleged by the News channel. It appears that India Today has maliciously published the news to malign and character assassinate the Bar President as such the Bar Association has decided to institute appropriate legal proceedings against the news channel very soon,” a spokesman of the Bar Association said in a statement issued here.
He also said that it has come as a surprise to people of the state, in particular the legal fraternity, that M. A. Qayoom has been summoned as a witness in FIR RC-10 registered by NIA. “We believe that real intension of calling him as a witness in the case is to prevent him from, pleading case before Supreme Court of India in ‘Pellet Gun Case’; preparing case against challenge to Article 35-A of the constitution, pending before Apex Court, pleading the cases of detainees before High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, in particular Asiya Andrabi and others; and performing various activities relating to resolution of Kashmir dispute; to say only a few,” the spokesman said, adding, “We see no basis for calling him as a witness, when he has nothing to do with the allegations involved in FIR RC-10 nor is he acquainted with any circumstance of the case or investigation.”
The Bar Association also strongly condemns the “method and manner, in which NIA is conducting the investigation.”
“The Bar Association also puts it on record that should M. A. Qayoom be not treated with respect and or be dealt with in contravention of law, the Bar Association will institute legal proceedings against NIA before the J&K High Court,” the spokesman added.
ADVERTISEMENT
