J-K Bar body members to avoid "politically-motivated" event

Members of the Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association today decided against participating in the inauguration of the State Judicial Academic Complex here tomorrow saying that the function is "politically motivated".
"The establishment of the State Judicial Academic Complex is a welcome step. But in view of the political overtones of the function, which is to be presided by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Bar Association feels handicapped (about joining) in," the association said in a statement here following a meeting of its executive members.
The said complex is to be inaugurated by the Chief Justice of India.
The association said that the independence of the judiciary was "at stake in the hands of the present coalition government" in the state.

There is a "denial of effective justice to the people" and discrimination against Kashmiris at all levels, the association alleged.
Referring to the recent selection of judicial officers in the subordinate judiciary, the association said that, "out of 38 selectees only seven are from Kashmir valley" and alleged that attempts were made to even defeat those appointments.
"The overall representation of Kashmiris in the judiciary has come down to 25 per cent at present, which reveals the sinister design to weed out the Kashmiri Muslim representation in the judiciary," it added.
Whereas the judicial machinery has played a "pro-active role" in other instances, when it came to J-K, its attitude suggested indifference, the association alleged.