Srinagar, October 9, 2025 – In a bold move against alleged arbitrary demolitions, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) submitted a private member’s bill today in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, seeking to ban “bulldozer justice” and regularize land occupied continuously for 30 years. Tabled by PDP legislator Waheed Para during the afternoon session around 2 PM, the “Jammu and Kashmir Protection Against Arbitrary Evictions Bill, 2025” proposes a review committee for all structures and penalties for officials misusing anti-encroachment powers.
The bill responds to over 500 demolitions since 2020, often targeting Muslim-majority areas in the Valley and Pahari settlements in Jammu, displacing 2,000 families amid flood recoveries. Para, addressing the house, argued: “Bulldozers can’t replace due process; this bill protects vulnerable Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs who’ve built lives on ancestral land.” It mandates hearings before evictions and amnesty for pre-1995 holdings, echoing Supreme Court guidelines from 2024.
For J&K’s residents – from Valley’s apple farmers in Shopian to Jammu’s urban poor in Trikuta Nagar – it’s a lifeline. Aisha Khan, 35, a Muslim widow from Pulwama whose home was razed in 2023, said at a PDP rally outside the assembly around 3 PM: “Floods took my roof; bulldozers my dignity – this bill gives hope.” Hindu traders in Kathua, facing similar drives, joined 300 protesters, with Rajesh Kumar, 48, adding: “Land is our legacy; regularize for all faiths.” Sikh leaders from Reasi endorsed it at a 4 PM gurdwara meet, attended by 100.
Mehbooba Mufti, PDP chief, linked it to Omar’s “land protection failure” in her Anantnag speech yesterday, drawing 400 women. The bill faces BJP opposition, with LoP Sunil Sharma calling it “soft on encroachers” at his 11 AM presser. Yet, it aligns with today’s security review, where Shah discussed land disputes fueling unrest. Assembly debate resumes October 11; if passed, it could benefit 10,000 families. For locals haggling at Lal Chowk stalls by 5 PM, it’s a call for equity.