J&K HC retrains certain KCCI executive functions. Our legal cell will respond: President

By: Syed Imran

Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir High Court on Saturday temporarily restrained certain operational functions, including the operation of bank accounts, of the office bearers of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on a plea arguing “unconstitutional continuation of the present executive committee beyond its stipulated constitutional term in office.”

While hearing a petition of a group of the chamber members, who had approached the High Court praying that the continuation of the present executive body, in the absence of elections due in 2019, constituted a violation of their rights, the High Court has ruled temporary restrain on the powers of the present executive committee.

Speaking to Ziraat Times, the serving KCCI president Sheikh Ashiq said that they had not been served the High Court order officially yet.

“When we receive it officially, our legal cell will go through it first and then react. We are doing our job and the whole business fraternity is witness to it”, he added.

The petitioners, represented by Advocate Syed Faisal Qadri, have submitted that the continuation of the present body in office was a violation of the chamber constitution, citing its Article 12, by virtue of which the term of the executive committee has been fixed as one year and elections are supposed to be held before 30th September every year.

Based on the arguments made, The High Court has ordered, that until the next date, the office bearers are temporarily restrained from taking any decision and also restrained from operating the bank accounts.

The court will hear the matter again on 27 June, 2020.