Centre mulls phase-wise withdrawal of AFSPA in J-K

The Chief Minister has held a series of meetings with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Defence Minister A K Antony during the recent past where he raised the issue of either amending the AFSPA,repealing it or taking it out of the state in a phased manner.

Omar gave a roadmap for its phased withdrawal beginning with the districts which have registered no or bare minimum violence during the past one year and in this context he gave examples of the four districts.

Sources in the Government said that while the situation in militancy-hit state has improved to a large extent,a serious thought could be given to the state’s demand.

A meeting between Home and Defence Ministries officials may be held soon to elicit the views of the Army and Central para-military forces,which have been fighting militancy in Jammu and Kashmir for the past two decades,the sources said.