Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Nov 4
The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has stayed an order allowing the reopening of Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom in Shopian, which was declared an unlawful entity under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) earlier this year.
A Division Bench of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Mohd Yousuf Wani, while hearing a petition filed by the Union Territory government and another petitioner, stayed the operation of an order passed by the Principal and Sessions Judge Shopian.
The bench, however, directed that students enrolled at the institution on the date of the lower court’s order should not be disturbed.
The court issued notice to the seminary, whose counsel accepted it, and granted four weeks to file objections.
“In the meanwhile, subject to objections and till next date of hearing, the operation of the impugned order is stayed,” the bench said.
The matter has been listed for February 1 next year.
In September, the Principal and Sessions Judge Shopian had allowed the institution to reopen pending final adjudication, observing that the material submitted by the government at the preliminary stage was insufficient to justify keeping the entire institution closed.
The lower court had also directed the government to constitute a three-member supervisory committee to oversee its functioning.
Counsel for the institution had argued that its prolonged closure was affecting around 1,200 students, including nearly 400 residential boarders.
The institution was ordered to close in April by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir following allegations of sustained and covert links with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami.
