Revoke AFSPA or face slide back: Mehbooba

Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti

"It was evident from the interim recommendations of the Judicial Commission how the administration treats life, honour and dignity of common citizens with contempt." Mehbooba

Press Release/Srinagar, June 23: The Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti has said any delay in rolling back draconian laws and withdrawal of troops from civilian areas can only increase the danger of a slide back to pre 2002 chaos and disruption.

Addressing a largely attended public meeting held in ‘Islamabad’ as part of the party’s current campaign for restoration of civil liberties in the state, she said incidents like Shopian, Bumai and Khaigam are only the symptoms of a situation with disastrous portents for the society and polity of the state. She said the response of the people to these atrocities should not be taken as isolated incidents of law and order, adding the central government can’t escape its responsibility of a matching response to popular outrage.

Mehbooba said it was evident from the interim recommendations of the Judicial Commission how the administration treats life, honour and dignity of common citizens with contempt. This unfortunate attitude even among the state police is the outcome of the free hand given to them for a reason that exist no more on the ground. It is natural she said that in absence of any armed resistance from militants the idle security forces should indulge in activities inimical to civil population. It would be in the interest of the security forces themselves to be relieved of duty among civilian population, she added.

Mehbooba said it was distressing that even after over six decades of independence for the sub continent Kashmiris still have to agitate for a mercy like registration of an FIR in gruesome cases like that in Shopian. “How long should we have to face lathis, bullets, tear smoke and imprisonment for achieving something as basic as a police investigation under the law of the land” she wondered. She said the PDP would in no case leave its campaign for the final resolution of Kashmir problem and full empowerment of the people half way, but it was necessary for the people from all walks of life to help this in a sustained way.

The PDP president said her party’s campaign for full empowerment of civil society and its institutions by removing the interference of security forces was not a reaction to any single incident of human rights abuse but constituted one of the fundamentals of its Self Rule agenda. “Revocation of AFSPA and demilitarization of civilian areas is only the first essential step in the realization of Self Rule goal”, she said and added that the party with the support of the people will not rest till it is achieved.
Referring to the main features of Self Rule concept, Mehbooba said it had emerged not only as a viable but also as the most achievable option for a permanent resolution of Kashmir problem. She said it would take care of all the dimensions of the complex problem that has to be resolved through new and innovative measures, which ensure a reasonable level of comfort for India, Pakistan and the people of the state.

She said PDP’s record of performance was known to all as this party had only said what it intended to work for. During its short tenure in power it had ensured that the peace process was not only started but substantially taken forward. But, now it was essential that the roadblocks that appeared as a result of lack of initiative and follow up at state level are removed by the Prime Minister and the process resumed with seriousness she said.

Addressing the gathering senior party leader Molvi Iftikhar Hussein Ansari said PDP would defend at any cost the right of the people to chart their own destiny. He said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his party had shown that they were a party and a leader with difference. The campaign for revocation of AFSPA and troop cut, he said would be further intensified to achieve the objective without any further blood shed of innocent men and women of the state.