Draconian Kashmir law may be repealed

An Indian policeman hits back with a slingshot at stone-throwing protesters in Srinagar on Monday. (Reuters)

By MUKHTAR AHMAD | ARAB NEWS

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government is engaged in talks with the central government over the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the state, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Monday.

“We are engaged in talks with the center on two issues — softening the harsh nature of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and its repeal from some of the districts of the valley and Jammu region where the role of the army has become minimal and where such powers are not needed at all,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a function at Balwal, near Jammu.

“The state government is in the process of identifying these areas,” the chief minister said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will meet here later this week for a “threadbare” discussion on the situation in Kashmir, but cautioned that he can’t pull off a miracle to resolve the crisis.

“A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security is being called shortly to discuss the situation in the Kashmir Valley,” Singh said in an interaction with journalists at his residence.

“I cannot promise you that I will produce a rabbit out of my hat...the country must learn to be patient,” he added.

Alluding to seething unrest in the valley since June 11, the prime minister underlined the need for a different attitude to riot control.

No lethal weapons but more humane methods should be used to deal with the crowds, he said.

“We are still groping for a solution,” a candid prime minister said while pointing out that the Kashmir problem has existed for 63 years and that Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had all attempted to tackle it when they were the prime minister.

Meanwhile, security forces fired on protesters hurling stones at them in Indian Kashmir on Monday, killing four people and wounding at least 17 other demonstrators, police said.

For the last three months, Kashmir has been roiled by demonstrations and clashes between protesters opposed and government forces. The deaths bring to 68 the number of people killed in the civil unrest.

Four people, including a 17-year-old boy, were killed when government forces fired live ammunition to disperse protesters in Palhalan, a village north of Srinagar.

Local residents said there was no clash with the troops, but soldiers fired when the protesters refused to disperse. The state government has ordered a probe into the shooting incident.

“A clash had occurred near a highway in the morning and much after that we were peacefully protesting in the village,” said resident Meraj-ud-Din.

Later, as news of the shooting spread, thousands of people from Palhalan and neighboring villages chanting “Go India, go back” and “We want freedom” marched to a nearby highway and blocked it.

Police and paramilitary soldiers fired warning shots and tear gas to quell those protests, said the officer. There were no reports of injuries.

Police launched a probe into Monday’s shooting. “Senior police officers have taken a serious view of the firing. Ammunition of the policemen is being checked to fix the responsibility,” an official statement said.

Meanwhile, an Indian Army spokesman said Monday that three suspected rebels were killed in an exchange of gunfire in a remote forest in northern Handwara district of Kashmir.

No casualties were reported among the Indian soldiers, Lt.

Col. J.S. Brar said in Srinagar.

There was no independent confirmation of the army’s claim.

— With input from agencies

Comments

UBAID

Report abuse
Army is not interested in the revocation of AFSPA.

DR.WALEED

Report abuse
The puppet Govt. and its probe is a farce.How many probes were concluded .None.Here in Kashmir genocide of Kashmiri Muslims is going on and the whole world is silent. Shame.......

RADWAN

Report abuse
A class 10 student was killed by the security forces while he was shopping for Eid with his father. Witness said that the trigger happy morons who are posted for security started firing discriminatory on the crowd without any provocation. It seems the Father and son had decided to pray the Qiyam ul layl prayers together that day, but the son couldn't keep that promise with his Father. India and Indian forces think that they can quell this rebellion the same way they dealt with Sikhs in Punjab, what they fail to understand is that Kashmiri's are not sikhs and they are more resilient.

DR. BASHIR AHMAD

Report abuse
This will in the best interest of India to leave Jam mu & Kashmir as soon as possible otherwise its fate will be like USSR very soon.They must not behave like Ostrich. Kashmir is not Punjab . It is an internationally acknowledged problem to be solved by Plebiscite. Free Kashmir is the only Solution of this issue.

AJIT

Report abuse
Guys what about Hindu genocide that happened in 1990. You people think that it is Muslims whose lives are important. The rest of the people do not matter.
Post your comment

required

required (email will never be displayed)

Please enter the following characters in the box provided (case sensitive). This helps us prevent automated programs from creating accounts and sending spam.

All comments are subject to approval

Terms and conditions

Latest comments

Iran attack: History does not repeat itself too often

Arab countries should stop leaning on the shuolders of the west as they are dividing and ruling

Abbas at Feb 9, 2012 03:57

23 comments

New company to streamline manpower sector

Lol@KRUS Comment... Nice n timely example... <br/>So the egg is hatching after all the fuss abo

Salman at Feb 9, 2012 03:56

2 comments

Double veto pushes Syrian parties to the edge

Humanity is the forte of islam and muslims but shamefully for muslims, christians and others h

abdul hafiz at Feb 9, 2012 03:55

6 comments

US threats to cut aid won’t work: Egypt’s PM

No aid is something that the US and Egypt can agree on. <br/> <br/>Opinion polls show that the

Gert at Feb 9, 2012 03:55

1 comments

Attacks in Syria’s Homs resume after Russian peace foray

Watching the news tonight a man on the street in War torn Syria screams Wheres the U.N. ? Where

Joe at Feb 9, 2012 03:53

1 comments

Haia recruits to be trained

These recruits should also be taught to clean their offices. The hai'a office a stone's throw f

Dario Cansino at Feb 9, 2012 03:53

10 comments