SC to hear petitions challenging Article 35A; shutdown in J&K Valley

Life across the Kashmir Valley was adversely affected on Friday by a separatist-called protest shutdown to voice support for Article 35A.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a conglomerate of separatists headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik called a complete shutdown on Friday to highlight support for the article.

All shops, public transport, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed in Srinagar and other places in the valley.

Attendance in government offices, banks and post offices was badly affected because of non-availability of public transport in the city and other districts of the valley.

Post-graduate entrance exams have already been rescheduled because of the shutdown. Rail services between Baramulla and Bannihal towns were also suspended for the second consecutive day.

SC to hear pleas challenging validity of Article 35-A in Jammu & Kashmir

Amid tense situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Supreme Court is all set to hear a batch of petitions on Monday, which challenge the validity of Article 35 A of the Constitution that grants special privileges to the residents of the state.

The State government had on Friday moved an application before the top court and sought to defer the hearing of the case, citing upcoming panchayat and urban local body elections.

Earlier in May, the top court had deferred the hearing of the case, saying that the government-appointed interlocutor, Dineshwar Sharma, is making efforts to find a solution; in such a situation, passing an interim order could prove futile.

The Union government decided not to file a counter affidavit in order to leave the Supreme Court free to decide on what is essentially an interpretation of the law and the Constitution.