The Diplomat Desk
Srinagar, (TDD): The Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC), led by Sajad Lone, is preparing to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the existing police verification procedure in Jammu and Kashmir, which it claims unfairly impacts entire families.
JKPC argues that the verification process operates as a form of “collective punishment,” punishing families for the actions of individual members. The party is basing its appeal on the recent “bulldozer judgment” by the Supreme Court, which deemed the demolition of homes as punishment for one family member’s actions a form of unlawful collective punishment.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), JKPC stated, “Inspired by the Supreme Court’s Bulldozer Judgment, which condemned collective punishment for families, JKPC will seek the Court’s intervention, arguing that the J&K police verification process represents an even more chronic form of such punishment.”
The statement continued, asserting that “the principle of national security is being used to sidestep natural justice.”
In a separate post, JKPC leader Sajad Lone voiced his concerns, saying, “The Supreme Court’s judgment acknowledged collective punishment against families. Denying police clearance due to a family member’s past record amounts to the same. This form of justice belongs to an outdated era and unfairly targets Kashmir.” (TDD)
