Srinagar, Sep 15: The Jammu and Kashmir government has finally granted international canoeing coach and umpire Bilquis Mir permission to travel to Japan for the Asian Games, 2026, following the Supreme Court’s intervention in the matter.
The Youth Services and Sports Department issued the order on September 15, the deadline set by the Supreme Court. The permission allows Mir, a Physical Education Teacher, to join the Indian national kayaking and canoeing team and perform her assignment as coach or chief coach during the Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
As per the government order, Mir has been relieved from her regular duties for the duration of the assignment. She will have to report back to her parent department immediately after completing her responsibilities at the Asian Games. The period of her absence will not be treated as unauthorised absence.
The development comes after the Supreme Court strongly criticised the delay in granting permission to Mir. The top court had earlier set September 15 as the deadline for the J&K administration to issue the required orders.
Mir had been denied permission for foreign sporting assignments in June, with the administration citing a departmental inquiry, questions related to her appointment qualifications, previous foreign visits and lack of vigilance clearance.
The decision led to another round of legal proceedings. Mir and the concerned sports federation approached the Supreme Court after the J&K High Court’s Division Bench upheld the administration’s decision.
On September 10, the Supreme Court set aside the High Court order and also quashed the June 19 administrative decision that had stopped Mir from travelling.
The court stressed that sporting assignments operate within strict timelines, with selections, training camps, qualification events and international competitions fixed well in advance.
The case has also been linked to a legal battle that began in 2023. The J&K Anti-Corruption Bureau had registered a case against Mir that year, which was later quashed by the High Court in July 2025. The High Court had criticised the authorities and observed that the action against her appeared to be a “witch-hunt”.
The J&K government challenged that decision before the Supreme Court, but its plea was dismissed.
Mir had earlier missed two international sporting events after being denied permission to travel. The latest order now clears the way for her to represent India in an official capacity at the Asian Games.
