Srinagar, September 24 — The Jammu and Kashmir cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, recommended convening a week-long Legislative Assembly session from October 13 to 20 in Srinagar on Tuesday, to address key issues including the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act and the restoration of statehood, according to details received by The Chenab Times.
The decision, made during a meeting attended by six ministers including Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Singh, follows the six-month rule under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, requiring sessions at least twice yearly. The last session, a one-day special sitting on April 29 in Jammu to condemn the Pahalgam terror attack, expired the deadline by September 28. The proposal will be forwarded to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for approval, as reported by The Week.
The brief session is expected to focus on monsoon-related damages, including loss of lives and property, alongside Malik’s detention—the first of a sitting legislator under PSA—ordered by Doda Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh on September 8 for allegedly disturbing public order. Malik, AAP’s sole MLA from Doda and J&K unit president, faces 18 FIRs and was shifted to Kathua jail after a spat over a health centre relocation. Chief Minister Abdullah previously stated there is no justification for the PSA detention, while opposition figures like PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti urged a special session to condemn it.
Other agenda items include the controversial reservation policy and statehood restoration, with the NC-Congress alliance holding a majority of over 50 seats in the 89-member house (down from 90 due to BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana’s death). Pending by-elections in Nagrota and Budgam (vacated by Abdullah) are ongoing. The previous budget session from March 3 to April 9 was marred by protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, lapsing three statehood resolutions.
As a Union Territory, the assembly’s powers remain limited, with the LG holding key authority. The Assembly Secretariat had alerted the Law Department to the expiring deadline. No response from the Lieutenant Governor’s office was available at the time of reporting.
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