Shinde must talk to CM on AFSPA: Soz

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 7: Pradesh Congress Committee president Prof. Saif-ud-Din Soz today said the Union Home Minister must hold decisive talks with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
“The Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde should hold decisive talks with Mr Abdullah on AFSPA revocation,” Mr Soz this morning told reporters outside the Legislative Assembly here.
He said, “I do not say that you immediately remove the Act but Mr Shinde must hold talks with the Chief Minister, who is also the Chairman of the Unified Command Committee.”
He said Mr Abdullah is consistently saying that situation has improved in Jammu and Kashmir and militancy graph has declined.
“AFSPA is a temporary law and it has to go,” the Congress stalwart said adding,”all stake holders including Army, para-military forces, police and above all, people of the State must be consulted and involved in talks.”
He said Mr Abdullah’s perception on AFSPA must be decisively discussed and the final decision on lifting the Act from some areas of Jammu and Kashmir where it is not required can be finalised only after talks.