Supreme Court Cites Pahalgam Attack In Plea For Jammu & Kashmir Statehood, Gives Centre 8 Weeks

The Supreme Court on Thursday has informed that it “cannot turn a blind eye” to the recent Pahalgam terror attack that happened on April 22 while hearing a plea for restoration of the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran made the observation while taking a prima facie adverse view of the petition, which contended that delay in its restoration of statehood was impairing the rights of citizens in the Union Territory.

The CJI told Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who was representing petitioners Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, a college teacher, and activist Khurshid Ahmad Malik.“You can’t ignore what happened in Pahalgam,”. Both of them have challenged the continued status of J&K as a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

Government Says Statehood Will Follow Elections

Centre’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre, argued against the plea. He again asserted that the Centre had promised statehood following Assembly polls, adding that Jammu and Kashmir held a “peculiar position” in India. “This is not the right State to muddy the waters. I will again request instructions. Eight weeks can be granted,” Mehta informed the Bench.

Sankaranarayanan reminded the court that in its 2023 judgment affirming the revocation of Article 370, it had avoided deciding on statehood on the Centre’s assurance that it would be reinstated. “It has been 21 months since that judgment…,” he observed.

Eight Weeks for Centre to Reply

The Bench reserved the matter for eight weeks to enable the Solicitor General to obtain fresh instructions from the government.

Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir in 2019. The petitioners cite that conducting Assembly elections prior to restoring statehood dilutes the concept of federalism an essential aspect of the Constitution. The plea was initially moved during Assembly elections in the region last year.

The new hearing comes in the wake of increased security issues in the Valley, particularly following the recent Pahalgam attack where several lives were lost.

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