Senior advocate Mian Qayoom, who represented the Bar Council of Srinagar several times, has been arrested in the case related to the murder of Kashmiri lawyer Advocate Babar Qadri.
As per reports, Senior Kashmir advocate and separatist leader Mian Qayoom, who has functioned as President of the High Court Bar Association in Kashmir for several terms and represented this organization in the separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference for a long time, has been arrested by Jammu Kashmir Police in the advocate Babar Qadri murder case today.
Babar Qadri was assassinated by unidentified terrorists at his Srinagar residence in September 2020 and the case was investigated by State Investigation Agency of Jammu Kashmir Police.
Last year, the State Investigation Agency has announced a cash reward of rupees 10 Lakh for providing information regarding the killers of Advocate Babar Qadri.
In a notice, the SIA has said, “A cash reward of Rs 10,00000 (Rupees Ten lacs) is announced for those providing information leading to the arrest of the persons involved in the killing of Senior Advocate of J&K High Court Late Babar Qadri, Srinagar who was killed by terrorists on 24.09.2020 at his residence.”
In April 2022, the Jammu Kashmir Police conducted raids at the houses of three Srinagar-based lawyers including Mian Abdul Qayoom in connection with the murder.
Advocate Babar Qadri, on 24 September, 2020, got a call on his cellphone around 6:20 PM. The caller asked Babar to come out of his house as he had to discuss some accident-related case. When Babar came out, he was shot multiple times in his head, resulting in his on-spot death, bringing an end to his short-lived career as a lawyer in the Kashmir valley.
Often in controversy for targeting the existential power circles in Kashmir and the Bar Council of Srinagar, Babar, just hours ahead of his assassination had hit out at Mian Qayoom, the president of High Court Bar Council. In his video circulated on Social media, he had accused unnamed lawyers associated with the Bar of planning to kill him. Lawyers associated with the Bar, however, rubbished his claims, saying they had no role in the killing.
In hi last tweet, Babar had posted a screenshot of an online threat after he critisized the Bar Council of Srinagar.
I urge the state Police administration to register FIR against this Shah Nazir who has spread wrong campaign that I work for agencies. This un true statement can lead to threat to my life.@ZPHQJammu pic.twitter.com/utkurYpRzk
— Babar Qadri Truth (@BabarTruth) September 21, 2020
“I urge the state Police administration to register FIR against this Shah Nazir who has spread wrong campaign that I work for agencies. This un true statement can lead to threat to my life,” Babar had tweeted.
Qadri’s career saw a peak in the 2010 civilian uprising when he campaigned and legally battled the cases of several juveniles in the year and the subsequent years. Several cases of injustice came to the forefront, because of Babar Qadri. The case of Faizan Ahmed (then 12), who was arrested by Police on the charges of Stone throwing in Kashmir capital- Srinagar, is one such case.
His close friends and associate lawyers say that in his 13-year-long career as a lawyer, Qadri had defended hundreds of cases involving protesters. “Most of the times, Babar did not charge fee from the families of the protesters. He defended their cases with all his heart,” his childhood friend and neighbour, Umar had told The Kashmiriyat.
“Babar frequently advocated a pro-Kashmir stance in his online videos, which drew criticism from well-funded interest groups. As a result, he faced ridicule and abuse multiple times,” he said. Umar pointed out that Babar was targeted by these influential lobbies for his outspoken views, experiencing a fate familiar to others who have championed similar ideologies in the past.