AFSPA To Be Removed From J&K In Phased Manner : CM Mufti M Sayeed
24 March, Jammu
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohmmad Sayeed has said his government will proceed with phased removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, AFSPA, after consulting the Army.
Sayeed said that he couldn’t scrap AFSPA, which gives immunity from prosecution to the armed forces, in one go but assured that it will be removed gradually.
Speaking in the Legislative Council on the issue of revocation of the AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir, Sayeed Monday maintained that the Army, which is apprehensive over this move, would be taken on-board over the decision.
The Chief Minister said, he would not suddenly jump to remove it. He said, they would see how could they find out a way after a well thought on it. He further said that there has been a lot of debate over removal of AFSPA and there is a need to relook at it.
Sayeed said, his government advocates a phase-wise removal of AFSPA from the areas, which have now been free of militancy for quite sometime.
Referring to incidents at Chatergam and Macchil where the Centre took stern action against security personnel, the Chief Minister said that his Government is committed to take measures and examine the need to review the special laws being applied to the state.
During his speech in reply to the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address in the Legislative Council, Mr Sayeed termed the PDP-BJP government as a model of unity in diversity and stressed that partnering with strong Centre was in the state’s interest to put it firmly on the path of peace, development and self-reliance.
The Chief Minister said the new government has been given a rare opportunity by the people to provide a transparent and smart government in collaboration with the strong NDA Government at the Centre. Sayeed said, their Common Minimum Programme is in the public domain. He said, the new government would facilitate and initiate a sustained and meaningful dialogue with all the stakeholders in the State.
Describing former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a great statesman who seized the opportunity in Kashmir to extend a hand of friendship to Pakistan, the Chief Minister said New Delhi has to take a leaf out of his vision by writing a new chapter with its western neighbour, which is the only bottleneck in ending perpetual conflict in the region that has denied the people the rich dividends of peace.
Emphasising on protecting the special status of J&K as it gives the people of the State a unique place in the country, Mr Sayeed said, the peace-loving people of the State rejected the Two-Nation Theory and acceded to India, which gave it a special place in its Constitution.