Following the formation of “Kashmir Advocate Association (KAA)” an amalgam of 150 young lawyers to work for the welfare of the people, many of them have resigned from the association taking pledge to the already existing Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (JKHCBA) in the valley.
Many young lawyers in their resignation letters to the JKHCBA chairman, a copy of which are in possession of The Kashmir Walla, have mentioned that they are not affiliated without any association or group except JKHCBA.
“I humbly submit that under-sign is only affiliated to J-K High Court Bar Association which undersign has joined in the year 2018 under registration no… Undersign submits humbly that I have no affiliation with any group/body/association except the J&K High Court Bar Association(sic),” the letter dated November 13, reads.
In another letter, a lawyer states that he is not a member of any other association, group or any political party or group.
“That my name has been grabbed by some persons in some controversy of which I have no role to play. That I am only associated with HCBA and my name from the controversy may be removed,” the lawyer said in the letter.
At least 150 young lawyers have come together to form KAA that according to them would work for the welfare of the lawyers in Kashmir valley.
The association is led by its founder Advocate Waseem Gul, who told The Kashmir Walla that the new association has been formed under Advocate Welfare Fund Act 1997.
Gul said that no one from their members have resigned from the association, “instead 20 more lawyers have joined them in the past few days.”
“The resignation letters that are making rounds were not part of our association. All our members are intact. No one has resigned from our association,” Gul said.
Gul reiterated that the KAA is working for the welfare of the lawyers and there is no “vested interest” behind forming the association.
“We are not against the BAR. The only purpose of the association is to look after the welfare of lawyers. There is no political motive behind it,” Gul said.
Meanwhile, JKHCBA claims that at least four of the six executive members of KAA have quit the association following the media reports about the formation of the new lawyers group.
“We have received around five to eight resignation letters in the past few days. All these members have taken pledge to JKHCBA and have disassociated themselves from any other association,” JKHCBA chairman Nazir Ronga said.
