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J&K identifying areas for lifting AFSPA
After receiving a green light from the Centre, the state has renewed the exercise to identify areas where the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) could be revoked.
After receiving a green light from the Centre, the state has renewed the exercise to identify areas where the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) could be revoked.
At a meeting with CM Omar Abdullah on October 11, Home minister P Chidambaram gave the nod for revoking AFSPA in areas where violence has dipped. The Centre has asked the state to prepare a list of such areas.
AFSPA empowers security forces to shoot at sight or arrest people without a warrant in areas declared as “disturbed”. It has been in place in J&K since militancy erupted in the 1990s.
Confirming that the government is “on the job”, state home secretary BR Sharma told HT: “Last year, two committees were set up to identify such areas.”
The chief minister has repeatedly underlined that the Act needs to be either withdrawn or amended in areas where violence has receded.”
