Restoring Jammu and Kashmir Statehood in Focus: Supreme Court Addresses Plea Regarding the Matter at Hand in Pahalgam
The Supreme Court of India is currently hearing a plea seeking the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The case, titled Zahoor Ahmad Bhat And Anr. Versus Union Of India, is challenging the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K.
The plea was taken up for consideration on Thursday. The petitioners, Zahoor Ahmad Bhat (a college teacher) and activist Khurshid Ahmad Malik, have highlighted that the absence of statehood restoration affects the rights of J&K citizens and the federal structure of India.
Notable recent developments include the Supreme Court's questioning of the Centre over the delay in restoring J&K’s statehood despite its assurances and seeking a formal response from the government. The hearing on August 14, 2025, saw continued scrutiny by the Court.
The petitioners emphasize that the Union’s failure to reinstate statehood violates constitutional principles and express urgency for the Supreme Court to issue binding and time-bound directions for restoration.
The Bench presently hearing the case is led by Chief Justice B. R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran. The Supreme Court has not yet restored statehood but continues to press the Union government for a formal reply and progress on the issue.
The abrogation of Article 370 in J&K is a topic of current legal debate in the Supreme Court of India. The Court's December 2023 judgment upheld the abrogation of Article 370, but it also directed the restoration of J&K’s statehood at the earliest, relying on the Union Government's earlier assurance to restore statehood to J&K (while excluding Ladakh as a separate Union Territory).
The plea, seeking directions for a time-bound restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, was scheduled to be heard on August 8, 2025, noting that the Union government had given no concrete steps since the 2019 abrogation decision.
As of mid-August 2025, the plea is actively pending with the Supreme Court, with the Court seeking compliance from the Centre on its past assurances to reinstate Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood in a timely manner.
The ongoing legal debate in the Supreme Court of India includes the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), which is intertwined with the general news regarding the plea seeking the restoration of J&K's statehood. The petitioners are urging the Court for binding and time-bound directions to reinstate J&K's statehood, as the delay in restoration continues to be a matter of political importance.
