High court halts construction at Srinagar’s historic MET football ground

October 11, 2025 by News Desk

The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has ordered the maintenance of status quo on a 17-kanal piece of land at Baghat Barzulla in Srinagar, popularly known as the MET Ground, amid a dispute over its allotment for construction projects.

The directive came in response to a writ petition filed by the Football Association Barzulla, which sought protection of the land as a public playing field. The petitioners argued that the ground has been used for football and sports activities for over three decades and serves as the only major recreational space for local youth.

According to the court order, the land, known as the Bua Ashraf Begum property, is evacuee property under the administrative control of the Custodian Evacuee Property, Kashmir, in accordance with the Jammu Kashmir State Evacuees (Administration of Property) Act, 2006.

Out of the total 17 kanals, 10 kanals had been allotted to the Police Department for constructing a hostel for families of police martyrs under an order dated October 24, 2024, while four kanals were allotted to the Jammu Kashmir Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (BOCWWB) for an office complex.

The court directed that “status quo of the football/playing field vis-à-vis the 17 kanals of Bua Ashraf Begum evacuee property shall not be disturbed,” effectively staying all construction activities until further orders.

Reacting to the order, former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the court’s intervention, calling it “a huge sigh of relief for the entire community, especially the youth, for whom this ground is not just an open space but their only place to play, grow, and breathe freely.”

She urged the Police Department to respect the court’s directive and halt all construction work. “It is hoped that the Police Department, as the primary custodian of law and order, will honour the Court’s stay order,” she wrote on X.

In a follow-up post, Mehbooba appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds charge of the Revenue Department, to allocate an alternate piece of land for the proposed Martyrs Memorial. “This gesture will help resolve the issue in a way that satisfies all concerned parties,” she added.