Claiming that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved significantly, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s advisor Nasir Aslam Wani on Saturday said that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) should be withdrawn from the Union territory first if the Centre decides to repeal it in any part of the country.
Speaking to reporters at an event in Srinagar, Wani said the PM Narendra Modi-led government should consider withdrawing the AFSPA as the situation in J&K has improved significantly.It has been under AFSPA since July 1990, after it was declared a ‘disturbed area’ by the central government, granting the military extraordinary powers to suppress rising militancy and insurgency.
Apart from J&K, AFSPA remains in effect in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. “It is our wish, and we appeal to them that they should first of all revoke it (AFSPA) from J&K. It also seems that the situation has improved a lot on the ground. So, it will be much better if they start from Jammu and Kashmir,” the CM’s advisor said.
“It is our wish, and we appeal to them that they should first of all revoke it (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir. It also seems that the situation has improved a lot on the ground. So, it will be much better if they start from Jammu and Kashmir,” the CM’s advisor said.Asked how hopeful the J&K government was about the restoration of statehood against the backdrop of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Wani said they trust the central government with its promise.
“We are hopeful, but we also trust their promise. When the election process started, we were told about a three-pronged strategy, first delimitation, then election and then the restoration of the statehood,” he said.Wani said that while the first two processes, the delimitation and election, have taken place, “we are now waiting for the fulfilment of the third promise”.
He further said that the time had come to move beyond complaints and accusations and focus on finding a practical way forward for the dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley.“A lot of time has passed since members of the community left Kashmir. Successive governments, including the previous Omar Abdullah-led government, made efforts to facilitate their return. During the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a rehabilitation package was introduced through which many Kashmiri Pandit youth received employment opportunities. Transit accommodations were also established as part of the process,” he said.
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