Hardeep Jamwal | JNM | Jammu
Nasir Aslam Wani, Advisor to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has made a significant statement regarding the demand to revoke AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act). He stated that if the central government decides to withdraw AFSPA from anywhere in the country, the process should begin with Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, Wani expressed hope that the central government would review the Act currently in force in the region. He argued that given the government and security agencies’ consistent claims that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is normalizing, the necessity of continuing AFSPA should also be reconsidered.
Wani noted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have long been demanding the revocation of this Act. He emphasized that if AFSPA is to be removed from any part of the country, Jammu and Kashmir should be given priority.
It is worth noting that Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently stated that AFSPA would be withdrawn from most states in the Northeast. He attributed this possibility to improvements in the security situation and a decline in militant incidents. Following the Home Minister’s statement, the demand to revoke AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir has once again come into the spotlight.
AFSPA is a special law that grants additional powers and legal protection to security forces deployed in disturbed areas. The Act has long been a subject of political debate in Jammu and Kashmir, with various political parties repeatedly calling for its removal.
Nasir Aslam Wani’s latest statement is likely to further intensify the political discourse surrounding AFSPA in the region.
