High Court judge who gave Article 370 verdict is National Conference pick for Anantnag

The 65-year-old former judge, who retired in January 2016, is currently serving as the chairman of the selection-cum-Oversight Committee under the Juvenile Justice Act.

The National Conference (NC) has fielded former Jammu and Kashmir high court judge Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi, known for his landmark judgment on Article 370, from the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency.

The National Conference (NC) has fielded former Jammu and Kashmir high court judge Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi, known for his landmark judgment on Article 370, from the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency. (HT File)

The 65-year-old former judge, who retired in January 2016, is currently serving as the chairman of the selection-cum-Oversight Committee under the Juvenile Justice Act. “The party has decided to field Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi from the Anantnag-Pulwama parliamentary constituency,” NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar told reporters at party’s head office at Nawai-Subha here.

In October 2015, Justice Masoodi had ruled that Article 370, granting special status to the state, is permanent.

Also, the NC parliamentary board has decided to field party president Farooq Abdullah from the Srinagar-Budgam constituency and senior leader and former Speaker of the state assembly Muhammad Akbar Lone from the Baramulla-Kupwara Lok Sabha constituency.

The NC has not yet announced the candidates for the remaining three seats -- two in the Jammu region and one in the Ladakh region of the state.