Evoke AFSPA as first step to resolve Kashmir: Mufti

JAMMU, Mar 10: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said the continued use of a law of emergency nature like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is against the letter and spirit of the constitution and amounts to denial of Fundamental Rights to life and liberty enshrined in it. Reiterating his party’s stand on the revocation of the special law, the party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said the very claim of our country to a democratic system suffers a blow when the people of an entire State are denied Fundamental Rights on the pretext of security. Mufti said he had been advocating the revocation of AFSPA since 2007 when the Prime Minister had on his suggestion appointed a high powered committee to examine the issue. He said continuing the law to operate in the changed circumstances when the militancy is substantially reduced and people have overwhelmingly participated in democratic process is a hurdle in complete normalcy and a set back to peace process. “J&K cannot be eternally governed through black laws if the region has to come out of its painful history of discord and destabilisation”, Mufti said.

Mufti said that while it was undeniable that the Kashmir issue had to be resolved amicably to achieve lasting peace, the reversal of that process after the present Government took over is partly the result of oppression and misgovernance inflicted on people. He said the level of disaffection among the people only rose during the last four years and the arrogant attitude of Government added fuel to the fires caused by a series of atrocities committed by its forces. Mufti said it was unfortunate that this Government had lost its way on all fronts including governance, development and people’s security. “The Government is trying to terrorise people into silence and in attempting that all norms of decency have been violated”, he said.  Mufti said thousands of youth have been framed in false cases and currently a fresh wave of arrests has seen hundreds more in jails including teenaged children. He said there were reports that parents were being arrested and tortured to ensure ‘good conduct of their sons’. The use of cruel methods of crowd control had resulted in hundreds getting effected seriously.

Calling for engagement of people in a democratic manner, Mufti said all strong arm tactics have only short term impact.  By capitulating on major issues the State Government has failed to safeguard the interests and dignity of the State and it has reduced itself to a scavenging job, but Government of India cannot escape its primary duty towards the people of the state without further complicating the problems.

Source: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/revoke-afspa-as-first-step-to-resolve-kashmir-mufti/