J-K HC directs Guv admin to reply to PILs against ban on civilian movement on NH

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Tuesday directed the Governor administration to reply within 10 days to a bunch of pleas filed against the ban on movement of civilian vehicles on the national highway two days a week.

Bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal through his counsel advocate Tassaduq Khwaja filed a PIL in the High Court here on Monday, seeking quashing of the order passed by state administration last week.

Several other politicians, including leaders from the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party, and social activists have filed PILs before the High court on the matter.

A division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Tashi Rabstan directed the administration to file its response to the public interest ligations before or by the next date of hearing on April 19.

The national highway from Baramulla to Udhampur has been put out of bounds for the civilian traffics on Sundays and Wednesdays till May 31, a notification issued by the J-K adminstration had said last Wednesday.

The ban on civilian traffic would be effective from Baramulla to Udhampur through Srinagar, Qazigund, Jawahar-Tunnel, Banihal and Ramban, the notification had said. The ban would be in force on the two days from 4 am to 5 pm, it had added.