Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association president Mian Abdul Qayoom was booked under the Public Safety Act, 1978, in August 2019. (File)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to explain the detention of High Court Bar Association president Mian Abdul Qayoom who was booked under the Public Safety Act, 1978, in August 2019 following the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

“He is 73 years old. We want to know on what basis you would like to retain him in Delhi’s Tihar,” a bench of Justices S K Kaul and Indu Malhotra told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The court added that his detention period as per order is also about to expire.

Mehta sought time to consider various aspects following which the bench fixed July 23 to hear the matter next.

Appearing for Qayoom, Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave said the detention order was for a limited period, for around a year.

Justice Kaul remarked that was the reason the court issued a notice on the plea on the previous date of hearing. Dave contended that the matter was not listed despite specific directions by the court.

Mehta said Qayoom’s ideology “went against national interests”.

“His detention period is about to expire. His ideology remains the same,” Justice Kaul told Mehta and asked, “In the current Covid scenario, would you still like to keep this pending?”