SRINAGAR, October 2025 – Jammu & Kashmir High Court Seeks Status Report on Road Safety:The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has granted six weeks’ additional time to Amicus Curiae Advocate S S Ahmed to visit the Mughal Road and submit a detailed report on the implementation of road safety measures recommended by an Expert Committee constituted by the court.
The direction came during the hearing of three public interest litigations (PILs) concerning road safety on National Highway-244 (Batote–Doda–Kishtwar) and the Mughal Road:
- Intakhab Ahmed Qazi vs State of J&K & Ors (PIL No. 30/2019)
- District Bar Association, Doda vs UOI & Ors (PIL No. 01/2018)
- Court on its Own Motion vs UT of J&K & Ors (PIL No. 13/2022)
The Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal, passed the order after Advocate Ahmed, assisted by Advocates Supriya Chouhan and M Zulkarnain Chowdhary, informed the court about the completion of inspections along NH-244.
Earlier, in compliance with the High Court’s order dated April 22, 2025, Advocate Ahmed, along with petitioners — Advocate Syed Asim Hashmi, former President of the Doda Bar Association, and social activist Asif Iqbal Bhat — had inspected vulnerable stretches along NH-244 and submitted a detailed report on August 20, 2025.
However, due to adverse weather conditions, the Amicus could not inspect the Mughal Road and requested more time to complete the task. The court considered this request and granted six additional weeks for a comprehensive inspection and report submission.
The report is expected to detail the implementation of measures recommended by the Expert Committee on March 16, 2024, through the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, aimed at:
- Minimizing road accidents
- Strengthening safety measures on NH-244 and Mughal Road
- Improving structural and administrative protocols for safe travel
During the proceedings, DSGI Vishal Sharma and CGSC Eishan Dadhchi appeared for the NHIDCL, while Government Advocate Sunil Malhotra represented the J&K Government.
Given the public significance of road safety, the Division Bench directed the Registry to re-notify the PILs for the next hearing on December 24, 2025.
This move underscores the High Court’s proactive role in ensuring road safety on critical highways and remote routes in Jammu & Kashmir, emphasizing accountability from both government agencies and authorities responsible for highway management.
Tags: J&K High Court road safety, Mughal Road accident prevention, NH-244 safety measures, JK road safety report 2025, NHIDCL J&K, public interest litigation Mughal Road, JK government road safety measures