Srinagar: The crackdown on the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir has intensified, with authorities arresting senior lawyer Mohammad Ashraf Butt, the association’s general secretary.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Butt was detained during a late-night raid at his home in Srinagar and subsequently placed under the Public Safety Act (PSA), a law often criticized for its harsh provisions. He has been transferred to Kathua jail in the Jammu region.
This latest arrest marks the fourth detention of an HCBA lawyer within the last 23 days, following the arrests of other prominent members including former HCBA chief Mian Abdul Qayoom and acting chairman Nazir Ahmad Ronga.
The crackdown comes amid the HCBA’s efforts to conduct internal elections, which have been prohibited by the New Delhi-installed administration for the past five years due to the association’s advocacy for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute. In response, authorities have recognized a parallel lawyers’ body, aiming to undermine the HCBA’s influence.