Srinagar, Oct 5: The Bar Association Kargil, joined by key civil society organisations and local political and religious leaders, has intensified its agitation demanding the establishment of a dedicated circuit bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in Kargil.
Following weeks of sustained protests and suspended court proceedings, members of the legal fraternity and civil society held a joint press conference in Kargil on Monday, warning of a large-scale public movement if their demand was not addressed within a week.
The agitation gained momentum after reports surfaced that a permanent High Court bench was proposed to be established in Leh, sparking concerns in Kargil over equitable access to justice across the Union Territory. Clarifying their stance, leaders from the Bar Association emphasised that while they did not object to judicial infrastructure in Leh, equity and regional balance required regular sittings of a High Court bench in Kargil.
Bar Association Kargil members said, “This is not merely an issue concerning lawyers; it is linked to the larger public interest, the volume of cases and the fundamental right of timely, affordable access to justice for the people of Kargil.”
Highlighting the geographic hardships, civil society and political representatives noted that Kargil’s scattered population and severe winter weather made traveling outside the district for higher judicial remedies extraordinarily burdensome for litigants. They stressed that the absence of local High Court sittings disproportionately impacted marginalised citizens and rural communities who could not afford the financial and logistical strain of long-distance legal travel.
The legal fraternity has already submitted formal representations outlining their grievances to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh and the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
With legal services, court appearances and notarial work halted across district courts, the leaders warned that the current peaceful protest would expand into a broader civil movement across the region if the administration failed to issue a concrete commitment within the one-week deadline.
Member of Parliament Haji Mohammad Hanifa Jan, Chief Executive Councillor LAHDC Karhil Dr Mohd Jaffar Akhoon extended their full support to the demands of the Bar Association and urged the UT administration and the Chief Justice of the High Court to establish a High Court Bench in Kargil without further delay.
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