‘Start with areas where the Army is no longer required to operate’
Raking up the issue of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) again, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday hoped that the Centre would revoke the controversial Act from those areas in the State where it was not required.
"We understand that you (the Centre) cannot take it (AFSPA) away overnight. It has to be a gradual process. It has to start with areas where the Army is no longer required to operate… that is what we have been asking for. There are also areas where Army has not operated for a number of years now… In such places, there is no requirement for AFSPA. But the Army has been very reluctant to go forward on this. But I believe there is a common meeting ground that can be found and we are talking about it," Mr. Abdullah told journalists here.
Mr. Abdullah has been strongly advocating removal of the AFSPA, which, he says, was an important confidence building measure that would promote peace in the Valley. "There are areas (in the State) where infiltration and militancy continue to be a problem and where Army’s presence is required," he said.
He blamed the Congress for creating hurdles to revoking the Disturbed Areas Act, which ultimately would lead to the removal of the AFSPA. "I have a coalition government… in which Congress is an ally. To do anything in the State I need a majority of my own or I need to take Congress on board…I need to carry political parties like Congress along with me and that is what I am trying to do," he added.
Asked about the recent tension between India and China in the Ladakh sector, Mr. Abdullah said both the countries should sit together and clearly demarcate the boundary at the earliest so that peace prevails at the borders. "We are affected by what happens. It is no secret that tourism in Ladakh has been affected by the recent incursions…Let us have the formal demarcation and then we can do away with these incursions," he asserted.