SRINAGAR: J&K has a “lame duck” assembly and chief minister with limited powers, former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi said Saturday.“What is the meaning of an elected chief minister when representative institutions remain outside his direct control?” Quraishi asked during a lecture in which he also cautioned against “exploiting” Kashmiri Pandits’ killings while arguing that many more Muslims were slain by terrorists.In his address at Mohammad Shafi Pandit Memorial Lecture in Srinagar’s Institute of Engineering, Quraishi stressed that Kashmir needs democracy, reconciliation and revival of its old sense of shared belonging. The lecture was held in the memory of Pandit, the first Muslim IAS officer from Kashmir who passed away on Sept 19, 2024, at age 80.
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Quraishi noted that Supreme Court had shown “soft-heartedness” towards restoration of J&K’s statehood by observing it should be done “as soon as possible” while upholding Article 370’s abrogation. He pointed out that assembly polls were held in 2024 after a deadline set by Supreme Court, which did not do the same for statehood, prompting the question “for how long”.On Pandits, Quraishi described their displacement as one of Kashmir’s deepest wounds for more than three decades and acknowledged that govt must ensure their security, housing, employment, and confidence.“But ultimately, Pandits cannot truly return merely to govt-built colonies. They must return to Kashmir, to neighbourhoods, friendships, schools, markets and old relationships. A Pandit moving into a protected housing complex is rehabilitation. A Pandit returning to a street, where an old Muslim neighbor knocks on the door and welcomes him back, is reconciliation. It would be the victory of Kashmir over those who sought to destroy its plural spirit,” the former CEC said.