Days after removing Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act AFSPA from certain parts of the Northeast, speculation is rife that centre is mulling removing the act from some districts of Jammu & Kashmir as well.
Sources add that an announcement in this regard could be made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Union Territory later this month.
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Areas in J&K were brought under the AFSPA in September 1990 through a notification issued by the then state government, declaring the Kashmir valley a ‘disturbed area’ under Section 3 of the law.
It was only in August 2001 that the then state government extended the scope of AFSPA to Jammu province.
“A highly sensitive decision like withdrawal of the AFSPA from some parts of Jammu and Kashmir can be taken only at the highest political level of the government on the basis of a thorough assessment of the ground situation,” a senior government official said when asked about the matter.
There has been speculation that to send a positive political message, the government, if it takes any decision, may first make an analysis of the security situation of Jammu city only.
“Any consideration on tweaking the AFSPA in the Kashmir valley is very unlikely,” the official said.
There have been protests and demands for the complete withdrawal of the law from the Northeast as well as Jammu and Kashmir for its ‘draconian’ provisions.
On March 31 of this year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced a reduction in the number of areas in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur where AFSPA was in force.
As per reports, a decision in this regard was taken on the basis of the recommendations of a high-level committee constituted to examine the possibility of removal of AFSPA following the killing of 14 civilians in an Army operation in Nagaland’s Mon in December last year.
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