By APD writer Rishika Chauhan

India’s Supreme Court has fixed November 14 as the deadline to hear pleas on the Kashmir issue.

According to a report published in the Indian Express, “A five-judge bench headed by Justice N V Ramana allowed Centre four weeks time to file counter-affidavits to the cases, and one week time for the petitioner to file a rejoinder.”

This decision has also put an end to filing of new petitions challenging the legality of revoking Article 370, which gave the former province of Jammu and Kashmir a special status.

So far the Supreme Court has heard a number of petitions on the Kashmir issue. The Supreme Court bench also comprising of Justice S K Kaul, R Subhash Reddy, B R Gavai and Surya Kant said, “We have to allow the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration to file counter-affidavit otherwise we can’t decide the matter.”

The pending petitions on the issue have been transferred to Justice N V Ramana.

Pleas on the Kashmir issue have been made by the likes of journalist Anuradha Bhasin, politician Sitaram Yechury, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, former administrative officer Shah Faesal, activist Shehla Rashid, and advocates Shakir Shabir, ML Sharma, Vineet Dhanda.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)