SRINAGAR: The High Court Bar Association will be organising a seminar to discuss the draft JK police bill 2013 that has drawn flak for its “anti people” nature.
The draft of the bill contains provisions for setting up Special Security Zones and Village Defence Committees besides imprisonment for minor indiscipline.
The bill has earned widespread criticism from the civil society, separatists and major political parties of the state.
The chief minister Omar Abdullah allayed fears over the bill saying the draft is “not final” and assured that “no bad legislation will be passed”.
Authorities have also extended the time seeking suggestions from people on the bill before its is moved further.
The Bar seminar will be held on the 9th of March at Sadder Court Complex in Srinagar.
The HCBA spokesman said all the respectable lawyers from various courts of Jammu and Kashmir will be invited to deliberate on the issue to express their views.
“The seminar is being organized on the proposed Police Bill 2013, whereby the J&K Police is going to be empowered with extensive powers.
The government in the garb of modernizing the Police force (will) virtually (send the state) to primitive stage, when men with muscular power, goons and renegades, were ruling the state and the common citizen had no say”, the spokesman said in a statement to news agency KNS.
“The Bill has generated controversy among the general masses of the state as the liberty and security of a common man is being curtailed under the garb of this proposed Police Bill”.
He appealed all the District and Mufassil Bar Associations of J&K State to participate in the seminar and send their representatives along with written opinions on the proposed J&K Police Bill 2013.
“There will be no work on the said date and in this behalf all the presiding officers of the respective courts have also been informed”, he added.
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