Jammu : The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on Monday adjourned till October 30 a plea filed by detained Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik, who sought permission to attend the ongoing assembly session. The autumn session is scheduled to conclude on October 31.
Malik, the president of AAP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, was detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) on September 8 and is currently lodged in Kathua jail. His lawyers had sought an urgent hearing of the matter.
Justice Mohd Yusuf Wani heard Malik’s application seeking permission to participate in the assembly session being held in Srinagar, an AAP spokesperson said. The nine-day session began on October 23.
“Senior advocate Rahul Pant, along with advocates S.S. Ahmed, Appu Singh Slathia, and M. Zulkarnain Chowdhary, strongly argued that the matter needed to be taken up immediately due to its urgency,” the spokesperson added. Senior Additional Advocate General Monika Kohli and senior advocate Sunil Sethi represented the government and informed the court that their reply had already been filed.
After hearing both sides, the court adjourned the matter to October 30. The main case challenging Malik’s detention under the PSA is listed for hearing on November 7.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed heated exchanges over Malik’s detention. National Conference MLA from Banihal, Sajjad Shaheen, demanded a one-hour discussion on the issue. However, BJP MLA from Udhampur East, R.S. Pathania, argued that invoking the PSA was within the prerogative of the district magistrate. His remarks led to protests from several treasury bench members and the lone Awami Ittehad Party MLA from Langate, Sheikh Khursheed.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather intervened, urging members to maintain order and take their seats. Independent MLA from Shopian, Shabir Kullay, also protested and attempted to approach the well of the House.
Pathania further maintained that issues pending before the court should not be debated in the Assembly.
