Mebooba demand the withdrawal of forces & revocation of AFSPA in J&K
Scoop News
March 04, 2010 Mehbooba Mufti while speaking on the resolution moved by the party MLAs Javed Mustafa Mir and Nizam ud Din Bhat on withdrawal of Army and Security forces from the civilian areas and revocation of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA).She further mentioned that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had himself announced in November 2004 that situation has been improved and there was a need of gradual reduction of troops from Kashmir.
She said that during the last assembly elections, more 60 percent of the people had cast their votes and there was a need to compliment the people by withdrawing troops and revoking draconian law like AFSPA.
Mehbooba said.”The ruling National Conference has not only failed to present a human face before the people of Jammu and Kashmir, this dispensation has also proved incapable to gain confidence of the people and also failed to remove the mistrust between the State and the Centre government.”
She said that on the one hand this dispensation has failed to earn confidence of the people while on the other hand the trust deficit was still prevailing between State and Centre governments. She especially mentioned that after Bomai incident, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had himself assured the House about shifting of the armed forces from civilian areas and revocation of the AFSPA. She, however, regretted that the government has failed to fulfill its commitment.
“Successive state governments in the State have changed their stands from time to time so there was trust deficit between Centre and State government”, she pointed out and recalled that the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayed has not only removed this mistrust but also persuade the successive Central governments to pursue the pro-peace and pro-people policies. PDP chief recalled that the PDP led coalition in the State initiated many steps including introducing mobiles, opening Muzafarabad road etc as the then State Government convinced the Union Government through its commitment and convictions.
“It was result of the convictions of the PDP led coalition regime that the successive Centre governments have endorsed all policies propagated by the then State Government”, she recalled even during her short tenure as Congress Legislative Party (CLP) she got many camps of the Army shifted from various areas.
Party MLA Nizad-ud-Din Bhat while terming the AFSMA as draconian and harsh said that it was implacable law in the democratic system which has outlived its utility. He admitted that situation was entire different when such laws were imposed on the State but now the situation has changed and such laws have lost their relevance and undermining the normal functioning of democratic system. He said that that stray incidents of militancy in different parts of the State was not the parameter of assessing the situation. He termed AFSMA as impediment of peace process initiated by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and further carry forward by the present Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
“This Act is contrast to the bigger agenda of peace process so there is need to revoke such acts to exhibit sincerity to the peace agenda”, he said and further added that AFSPA was an irritant to whole process of reconciliation and process.
Calling upon the members of all political parties to rise above party considerations, he revocation of such law would given a message in the whole world that situation has been improved in this region. “Let us the people believe that situation has improved in
Tags: Revocation AFSPA , Withdrawal Of Forces , J&K , PDP , Mehbooba Mufti
