Stating that the gradual withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was part of the aspiration of people, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Monday that the Army's concerns also needed to be addressed.
Mr. Abdullah told a public rally in south Kashmir that the “remarkable decrease in militancy and gradual improvement in the security situation” had expanded the expectation of a spectrum of people to receive peace dividends in all fields. “Peace is imperative for development and its benefits should percolate to the people considerably,” he said.
Making a strong case for withdrawal of AFSPA, the Chief Minister said: “My endeavours in this regard are as per public aspiration. My viewpoint of gradual revocation of AFSPA in certain parts of the State represents the public hope.” Mr. Abdullah added that the people want to “relish the fruit of peace and tranquillity along with development process.”
‘No deadline'
He refused to set a deadline on the issue. “I'm not in the business of setting deadlines; more progress is to be made regarding the revocation of the act. We have to work in tandem, everybody including the Defence Ministry and the Army has to be taken into confidence.”
“There is no opposition against the revocation of AFSPA, however, they have concerns which need to be sorted out and hopefully it will be done sooner than later,” Mr. Abdullah said.
“A decision has been taken to send a team comprising Director-General of Police, Additional Director-General of Police and Home Secretary to Delhi for holding talks with the (Union) Home Department, Army Headquarters and Defence Ministry for discussing the issue,” he said.
Without naming the People's Democratic Party, the Chief Minister took a dig at the Opposition who described his initiative regarding the AFSPA as ‘a measure for strengthening his political position'. Had that been his aim, he would have kept mum on this issue like the PDP, he said.
