New Delhi, Aug 13, 2025 : The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday a plea seeking the immediate restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. The bench, led by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, will take up the matter as per the causelist.
Petitioners Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, an academician, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, a socio-political activist, have argued that the continued delay undermines federalism and deprives J&K of a fully elected government. They cite the peaceful conduct of assembly and Lok Sabha polls as proof there are no security hurdles to restoring statehood.
In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the revocation of Article 370 but directed that assembly polls be held by September 2024 and statehood restored “at the earliest.” The petition claims that despite this order, the Centre has not provided any timeline.
The plea warns that operating J&K as a Union Territory for nearly five years has hindered development and affected democratic rights. Article 370, the court had ruled, was always a temporary provision, revocable by the President in the absence of the Constituent Assembly.
