While Hearing J&K Statehood Plea, SC Says Pahalgam Incident Must Not Be Ignored

The Supreme Court on Thursday, during the hearing of a petition for restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, said that the real situation on the ground must be considered and that incidents such as the Pahalgam attack cannot be overlooked.

Court’s observation on the security situation

You must also take into account the ground realities; you cannot ignore what happened in Pahalgam," said a bench consisting of Justice K Vinod Chandran and Chief Justice of India BR Gavai. The court also noted the argument made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, that several factors influence the decision-making process in this matter.

Next hearing after 8 weeks

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to respond to the petition seeking the return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Academic Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and socio-political activist Ahmad Malik filed the plea, which will be reheard in eight weeks. Chief Justice Gavai told senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who appeared for Bhat and requested an earlier date, that it is for Parliament and the Executive to decide on the issue.

The Supreme Court upheld the repeal of Article 370, which had granted the former state special status, on December 11, 2023. However, the court ordered that statehood be restored "as soon as possible" and that assembly elections be held in Jammu and Kashmir by September 2024. Last year, another petition was filed in the top court asking the Centre to restore statehood within two months.