Lawyers begin hunger strike

Updated On! Sunday 05th of September 2010

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Lawyers begin hunger strike

Srinagar, July 27: The High Court Bar Association on Monday started hunger strike against the arrest of its president Mian Abdul Qayoom and secretary G.N Shaheen and to invite attention of world community towards atrocities committed against lawyers and people of Kashmir.

The Bar said that the arrest of Qayoom and Shaheen was an attempt to stop the lawyers of Kashmir to plead cases of detainees and people facing human rights abuses. The lawyers demand release of Qayoom and Shaheen and threatened to continue their agitation if they are not released.

Lawyers who participated in Monday’s hunger strike included Bar Acting President, Aijaz Bedar, former Bar president, Nazir A Ronga, Rafiq Joo, Muhammad Amin Bhat, Mir Shafqat Hussain, M A Dar, Arshad Andrabi, Bashir Siddiq, Mohammad Ashraf Wani, Muhammad Amin Malla ,Zaffar Qureshi, Mian Muzaffar, Mian Rouf, Naved Mir and scores of other lawyers. Other junior lawyers also joined them.

Ronga, the former Bar president, said the human rights groups should take note of the grave human rights situation in the State. He said the arrest of Qayoom and Shaheen represents a mindset. He said lawyers in Kashmir over the years have been pleading the cases of detainees and the arrest of Qayoom and Shaheen under PSA is a move to stop the lawyers from pleading the cases and denying the counsel to victims of human rights abuses. Ronga said Bar has always pleaded the cases of the victims of human rights violations, and arrests and intimidations would not deter them to plead the cases. Nazir Ronga warned of serious repercussions for detaining the Bar leaders

Advocate Mohammad Amin Bhat, spokesperson, of HCBA while addressing the lawyers fraternity in lower court premises where they had assembled to stage a 12-hour hunger strike against the arrest of Qayoom and Shaheen said the Bar leaders were arrested for defending human rights committed by Indian armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir’

He said that Bar was committed to the struggle for freedom and it was a time to get out of the oppression and suppression of the people.
He said that the statement of Farooq Abdullah has exposed his mindset.

Bar President Mian Qayoom who was arrested by police on July 07 and booked under draconian, Public Safety Act is presently detained at Hiranagar sub-jail in Jammu province, whereas, Bar General Secretary G N Shaheen was booked under PSA on July 17 and shifted to Rajouri jail.
“The detention of Qayoom and Shaheen by the government is indicative of the repression being carried out to muzzle voices who call for an end to human rights violations. It is a harassment of Kashmiri lawyers,” said prominent lawyer, Nazir A Ronga.

Meanwhile, Bar is also considering to file a contempt petition against the authorities for violating High Court orders by not shifting the Bar President from Jammu jail. The Bar members have already been boycotting court work for the last 20 days seeking release of Qayoom and Shaheen.
“Our Executive Committee will meet today and chalk out future programme of the protests, but the work in the courts will continue to remain suspended,” Bar Executive Member Muhammad Amin Bhat told media men.