NEW DELHI, June 11: The government is considering the demand of various states including Jammu and Kashmir for withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and a final decision will be taken only after talking to all stakeholders.
Briefing the media, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said “before that (withdrawal of AFSPA), we have to consider all the stake holders’ opinion.
“AFSPA is not in Kashmir. It is in many other places also.”
AFSPA, which grants special powers to the armed forces, is also in force in some northeastern states besides Jammu and Kashmir.
He rejected demand for an all-party meeting and making it clear that only the states concerned would be consulted before taking a final call on repealing AFSPA.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, during his speech at the Internal Security conference last week that was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had said “We cannot wait for last gun to fall silent” to repeal of the AFSPA.
Omar had also argued that if no AFSPA-like laws are required to be imposed in Naxal-affected areas where heinous crimes are being committed by Naxalites, then how could it be necessary to keep such laws in force in the areas in Jammu and Kashmir which have become by and large peaceful?
Omar has been strongly pitching for partial and gradual revocation of AFSPA from the areas where peace has prevailed and militancy related incidents have diminished considerably.
The Prime Minister had also complimented the state government for a peaceful 2012 which was by far the best in the past 25 years in terms of decline in all parameters and indices of violence. (AGENCIES)
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