Ex-prez of J&K HC Bar Association held under PSA

Srinagar: Senior advocate and former president of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Nazir Ahmad Ronga, was arrested in the early hours of Thursday from his residence in Srinagar, officials confirmed. Ronga has been booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), they added.

The arrest took place at his home in the Nishat area of the city. Ronga’s family, shocked by the incident, took to social media to express their distress. “My father, Adv N A Ronga, the Chairman of the J&K High Court Bar Association, has just been arrested in a deeply disturbing turn of events,” posted Umair Ronga, son of the senior lawyer, on X (formerly Twitter).

“At 1:10 am, a contingent of J&K Police arrived at our home without any arrest warrant, merely stating, ‘It’s an order from above’ (‘uper se order hai’). We are left in a state of shock and profound distress. We can only hope this is not another instance of the PSA being misused to intimidate the members of the J&K High Court Bar Association,” Umair Ronga said in his post, accompanied by videos showing uniformed personnel taking away his father.

This arrest marks the second time an ex-president of the lawyers’ body has been detained. Last month, Mian Abdul Qayoom, another former president of the bar association, was arrested in connection with the 2020 murder of Advocate Babar Qadri by terrorists.

The arrest of Nazir Ahmad Ronga under the PSA has sparked a wave of concern and criticism, raising questions about the use of the law in the region.

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti condemned Ronga’s arrest, criticising the government’s handling of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The cycle of violence continues unabated in J&K, even in areas which rarely witnessed militancy. Everyday soldiers are being martyred. GOI hasn’t only failed to end militancy but is venting its frustration by launching a vicious crackdown on helpless Kashmiris. Nazir Ronga is the latest victim of its oppressive actions,” Mufti posted on X.