Srinagar, Dec 28: The Awami National Conference (ANC), one of the petitioners who had challenged the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution before the Supreme Court, on Thursday said it is considering filing a review petition before the court as legal experts maintain that its verdict in the matter was “full of flaws”.“Legal and constitutional experts say the Supreme Court judgment was full of flaws. It remained silent on many basic issues. A review petition is being prepared and once it is ready, we will put it before our legal teams and the 23 petitioners. Most likely, we will file the petition in the apex court,” ANC’s senior vice-president Muzaffar Shah told a press conference here.
He said it is a matter of discussion as to what shape the course of legal action would take.
“One thing is definite that since the judgment is full of flaws according to legal and constitutional luminaries, we will knock the doors of the Supreme Court again. Whether a review petition will be filed or some other route taken, we will discuss that,” Shah added.
The ANC leader expressed hope that those who believe in history and the Constitution will stand together in this legal battle.
“We also hope that the Supreme Court will restore Article 370,” he said.
Shah said the issue would also be discussed at the next meeting of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), which was formed in 2019 to fight for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
The BJP-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories. The apex court upheld the decision earlier this month.
Shah, however, asserted that the issue is not dead yet.
“I want to tell those celebrating the verdict and using it to score political points that the issue is not dead yet. The people of Jammu and Kashmir will give a befitting reply to you that they have not accepted the August 5, 2019 decision and the December 11, 2023 verdict of the Supreme Court,” he said.
On three civilians allegedly killed in the Army’s custody in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch last week, Shah said the “armymen involved in the torture and killings should be court-martialled”.
