Withdraw AFSPA from some peaceful areas,Chidambaram tells Omar

Sources said Chidambaram asked Omar to explore the possibility of partially withdrawing AFSPA from some violence-free districts,something that the J&K Chief Minister had offered to do by the end of September if the summer passed off peacefully.

“During the meeting,we also discussed the possibility of removal of AFSPA and Disturbed Areas Act from certain parts of the state. I will return and have a discussion with my Cabinet colleagues and officers,after which we can take a decision,” Omar told reporters after the meeting.

He,however,cautioned this did not mean that there “will be an overnight revocation of AFSPA or Disturbed Areas Act from the entire state”. “We have to see the areas where the footprints of Army were minimal and then go for revocation of Disturbed Areas Act and subsequently AFSPA,” he said.

Early this year,after the Cabinet Committee on Security failed to resolve differences on the issue of withdrawing AFSPA from six districts of J&K,the MHA had asked the state government to do so on its own. However,Omar has so far refused to bite the bullet,asking the Centre to give an assurance that in the eventuality of violence in any part of the state that is no longer notified as a “Disturbed Area”,the Army and Central paramilitary forces would not cite the lack of the disturbed areas tag to not intervene if the state government so requests.

It is learnt that Chidambaram also conveyed to the Chief Minister that there was still no headway in the matter of resolving the differences that exist between the MHA and Ministry of Defence over amendments to the AFSPA.

At Tuesday’s meeting,Omar also told Chidambaram about steps taken by his government to empower the panchayats and urban local bodies.

The two also discussed the report of the interlocutors,with Omar assuring Chidambaram that his government would implement the report as early as possible. “It (finalisation of the report) is indeed a step in the right direction and after this I hope that the Centre will soon convene an all-party meeting to discuss it. I look forward to the report. I hope positive things come out and are implemented,” he said.