New Delhi, Feb. 1 -- The Supreme Court of India on Friday directed the Centre, the Bar Council of India, and other relevant authorities to respond to a Public Interest Litigation requesting the establishment of a Bar Council in Jammu & Kashmir.

The PIL was filed by the Kashmir Advocates Association, represented by senior advocate Javid Shaikh.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notices to the Centre, the BCI, and the Registrar General of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

A Bar Council is a statutory entity responsible for regulating the enrollment of law graduates as lawyers and overseeing the legal practice within a state. In his submissions, Shaikh, assisted by advocate Adil Muneer Andrabi,...