J&K Assembly Pays Tribute to Late Leaders as Autumn Session Begins

SRINAGAR, Oct 23: The autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly commenced on Thursday with members paying homage to recently deceased leaders.

Before proceedings began, NC and Congress MLAs staged a silent protest, demanding the release of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, who was detained in September under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly disturbing public order in Doda district.

During the session, NC MLA Hilal Lone raised the issue of Malik’s arrest, but Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather asked him to take his seat, assuring that the matter would be addressed later. Rather urged MLAs to make maximum use of the nine-day session, noting that the House would pay tributes to leaders who passed away between the third and fourth sessions.

The House began with obituary references for former J-K Governor Satya Pal Malik, who passed away on August 5, along with former minister Gulchain Singh Charak, ex-MLA Dina Nath Bhagat, and ex-MLCs Ghulam Nabi Shaheen, Ramesh Arora, Sardar Mohammad Akhlaq Khan, and former legislator Mohammad Sultan Pandithpori.

On Friday, the Assembly will vote to elect four Rajya Sabha members, with three NC candidates expected to win easily. The fourth seat will see a tight contest between BJP veteran Sat Pal Sharma and young NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, who will require support from PDP, AAP, and Awami Ittehad Party members.

The session is expected to witness intense debates on the restoration of statehood, reservation policies, and the regularisation of thousands of daily wagers. The opposition is also likely to raise questions about promises made by the ruling NC government ahead of last year’s elections.

Officials said 450 questions, 13 private members’ bills, and over 50 resolutions have been submitted for discussion. The House will also consider around three dozen bills introduced during the budget session but still pending approval.