Omar meets Sonia ahead of decision over AFSPA
Agencies
New Delhi, September 13, 2010First Published: 11:15 IST(13/9/2010)
Jammu and Kashmir chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Congress President Sonia Gandhi ahead of the crucial cabinet committee on security meet in New Delhi, which will mull the lifting of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from four districts of Jammu and Kashmir, in an attempt to stem the escalating violence in the Valley, which has claimed 70 lives since early June.
According to media reports, Omar also meet Home Minister P Chidambaram before meeting the Congress chief to garner support for his proposal to partially withdraw AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir.
The CCS will also consider sending an all-party delegation to the troubled region. The Act gives the army a large measure of immunity during its operations.
At a meeting of the Congress core committee on Friday, Defence Minister AK Antony and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee opposed the proposal to lift AFSPA. (Other members of the CCS are Home Minister P Chidambaram and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.)
Special ex-gratia payments to the families of the civilians killed in firing by security forces since June, a reworked rehabilitation scheme for surrendered militants, release of arrested youths and withdrawal of several cases against stone-throwers are the other proposals before the CCS. With separatists already rejecting as inconsequential all proposals before the CCS, the centre has little leeway. "The separatists have already jacked up their demands," a union minister said, referring to moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Omar Farooq's statement that Kashmir needed self-determination, not a political package.
While the senior leadership at the Centre is skeptical about the outcome of a package, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has urged the Centre to take a "calculated risk."
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