Armed Forces Special Powers Act: Omar sets deadline

Srinagar:  Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has now set a deadline for the proposed withdrawal of the contentious Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFPSA) from select areas of the state. The Chief Minister's decision comes even as the Army has reportedly expressed its unwillingness for such a move.

The Chief Minister met a high-level Central team, led by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, over the weekend and discussed issues related to AFSPA. ''We discussed the issue of AFSPA. We will be taking a decision before the annual Darbar shifts to Jammu,'' Mr Abdullah told NDTV when asked about the meeting.

At a public function in Srinagar on Friday, Mr Abdullah announced that AFSPA will be removed from some areas in the state over the next few days. "The time has come for the revocation of laws (AFSPA), which were invoked in the state after militancy, from some areas of the state within the next few days," Mr Abdullah had said addressing those gathered for a Police Commemoration Day function at Zewan near Srinagar.

But it will not be easy for Omar to push the decision through. High-level sources have told NDTV that the Defence Ministry - on the advice of the Army - is opposed to withdrawal of AFSPA even from selected areas. It, though, agrees to a reduction in the visibility and presence of the Army.


The opposition to lifting of AFSPA stems from concerns of the Army, which is based on intelligence inputs and intercepts that it has received in the last two-three months. According to its estimates that have been verified by other agencies, around 2,500 militants are present in 42 training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok). Of these, 800 are poised to cross over to India. Around 30 odd militants have been killed along the Line of Control (LoC) in the last two months while attempting to cross over. Sources further say that intercepts indicate that infiltration attempts are likely to continue even during the winter months - a period when infiltration figures, otherwise, come down considerably.

His announcement on partial revocation of AFSPA has put Omar Abdullah's leadership to test. He now has to make a fine balance between his political compulsions and the Army's reservations on the revocation of AFSPA.