Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has assured the people of the state that the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Disturbed Areas Act would be revoked in some parts of the state very soon.
Addressing the Police Commemoration Day, the CM said that time has come to revoke AFSPA and DAA, which were invoked in the state due to terrorism. He assured that revocation would not have adverse effect though the state police and paramilitary forces have to shoulder more responsibility. He however refused to reveal which part of the state the law would be revoked.
Reasoning his decision, the CM said that the state had only 18 martyrs out of the 635 martyrs from across the country last year. He added that the figure revealed that the situation in the state had improved over the years.
It may be recalled that human rights activists have reported human rights violation in Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur because of AFSPA. Irom Sharmila, a 53-year-old Manipuri human rights activist, has been on an indefinite fast for over a decade now, ever since the Assam Rifles personnel killed ten civilians in Imphal on November 2, 2000. Her demand for repealing of AFSPA in the state is still a far cry with the Indian government not responding to her demand.
