Amicus Curiae, Former Doda Bar President, and Social Activist Asif Iqbal Butt to Inspect Accident-Prone Areas and Submit Report
Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, (DD) The Division Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Jammu, comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal, has granted permission to Amicus Curiae Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed to personally visit critical stretches of National Highway-44 and Mughal Road that have witnessed frequent accidents.
He will be accompanied by Advocate Syed Asim Hashmi, former President of the District Bar Association Doda, and Social Activist Asif Iqbal Butt. The team will submit a comprehensive status report outlining whether additional safety measures are still needed in light of recommendations made by a four-member Expert Committee constituted by the Court on December 7, 2023.
These directions were issued during a hearing of three related Public Interest Litigations (PILs):
- Intikhab Ahmed Qazi v. State of J&K and Ors. (PIL No. 30/2019)
- District Bar Association, Doda v. State of J&K and Ors. (PIL No. 1/2018)
- Court on its own Motion v. UT of J&K and Ors. [WP(C)PIL No. 13/2022]
The third PIL originated from a letter written by Social Activist Asif Iqbal Butt, highlighting alarming road safety concerns on stretches like Ramban, Batote, Doda, Kishtwar and the Mughal Road, prompting the Court to take suo motu cognizance of the issue.
During the latest hearing, Amicus Curiae Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed, along with Advocates Rahul Raina, Supriya Chouhan, M. Zulkarnain Chowdhary, and Navneet Dubey, stressed the need for on-ground inspections to validate the extent of implementation of expert recommendations.
Senior AAG SS Nanda appeared for the UT of J&K, while DSGI Vishal Sharma represented the National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). Both acknowledged that several expert suggestions have been implemented but did not oppose the site inspection proposal.
The Division Bench agreed to associate both Advocate Hashmi and Social Activist Butt with the Amicus Curiae’s inspection team, recognizing their continuous contributions and public interest advocacy.
The High Court directed that a comprehensive status report be filed before the next hearing date, with advance copies to counsel for the UT administration and NHIDCL. The matter is scheduled to be heard again on July 2 (DD)
