Srinagar, June 9: The President of India has appointed senior Kashmiri lawyer Javed Iqbal Wani as a judge in the Common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and the Ladakh Union Territories.
The order for the appointment of Wani was issued on Tuesday by the President even as a separate gazette notification in this regard is also being issued.
“…the President is pleased to appoint Javed Iqbal Wani to be judge of common High Court for the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and union territory of Ladakh with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,” stated a notification issued by Rajinder Kashyap, Joint Secretary, GoI, Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Justice).
In February last year, Wani was appointed as the Senior Additional Advocate General by the J&K government.
Wani, who is an advocate in the High Court, has conducted several high-profile cases, including the Pathribal fake encounter case on the behalf of the Army, the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association scam case and the defection case on the behalf of seven BJP MLAs.
Wani has served as a senior government advocate in different capacities. He is the son-in-law of Mian Abdul Qayoom, the Bar Association president who has been in detention under the Public Safety Act since August 5 last year.
Qayoom was one of several leaders of Jammu and Kashmir to have been detained last year when the central government read down with Article 370 of the Indian Constitution through a presidential order.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court dismissed Qayoom’s petition seeking his release on May 28 saying he should appeal before a competent authority for his release if he undertakes to shun “secessionist” ideology.
