Srinagar: Kashmir High Court Bar Association on Saturday said “it appears” that ban on JKLF was only because of ensuing Parliamentary Elections otherwise government of India held talks with it as “stakeholder” to resolve Kashmir issue.
The lawyers’ body denounced declaring of J&K Liberation Front (JKLF), as an ‘unlawful association’ and terms the material relied upon for declaring it as an ‘unlawful association’ “farfetched and imaginary.”
In a statement issued here, the General Secretary of the lawyers’ body Mohammad Ashraf Bhat said that ban was also contrary to the well-established principles of freedom of speech and expression and association.
In order to register its protest against the banning, the Bar Association endorsed the strike call given by Joint Resistance Leadership for March 24.
“The Bar Association once again reiterates that peaceful demonstration is an attribute of right to free speech and assembly and a visible representation of the feelings or sentiments of an individual or a group and is permissible under international law, which governs the international relations between the communities,” he said, adding, “JKLF, which has adopted a path of non-violence and is seeking a peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of all the three regions of the State, cannot be therefore said to be indulging in activities and articulations intended to disrupt any kind of integrity of any country.”
It appears that it was only because of the ensuing Parliamentary Elections that JKLF has been declared as an ‘unlawful association’ as otherwise it has been peacefully advocating its cause and has even entered into a dialogue with the government of India as a stakeholder and its identity as such has been acknowledged by the Government of India as well.
