‘AFSPA lifting depends on forces’ success against terrorism’

Mehbooba Bats for Central-South Asia Corridor Through J&K

JAMMU: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today linked the revocation of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to improvement in law and order situation and success of security forces in ending terrorism in the state.
The success of the security forces depends upon when we will start revoking Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
"It also depends upon when we stomp out terrorism fully and slowly and steadily decrease the footprints of security forces. It will not be our success first, it will be the success of the security forces, she said in her address to Legislative Council here today.
Mehbooba went on to add, "If we can control infiltration and militancy in the state, then we can start revoking AFSPA.
Time is nearing by when this will start happening. This has been agreed in the Agenda of Alliance (between ruling coalition partners PDP and BJP)."
She said it has been agreed in the Working Group that whenever the security situation becomes conducive, the laws applicable with regard to security will be automatically revoked, she said.
When the elections take place and democracy is put in place, footprints of the security apparatus automatically gets downgraded. See when the militancy started in 1990s, how many camps were there which you did not see in 2002 and today they are not there. Decreasing the footprints of security forces is in the Agenda of Alliance of our government," she said.
Emphasising the need for dialogue, Mehbooba said her late father and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had believed that the problem of Jammu and Kashmir is "a war of idea".
"You cannot put an idea into jail. You cannot kill an idea. You need to deal with idea. You need to deal with idea with another idea.
If some people say they have to go for freedom or with Pakistan, we tell them that there is huge accommodation in the Constitutions of Jammu and Kashmir and India which can fulfill the dream of freedom within its ambit," she said.
"We need to open up more roads between the two sides of Kashmir," she said.
Noting that China is building economic corridor in PoK, she said "we also need to take a call to build such a corridor via Kashmir, Jammu or Ladakh. That is why we are batting for holding dialogue and we believe that dialogue is the only way and we need to create an atmosphere for this."
The Indian sub-continent was historically linked to Central Asia through Kashmir and "Taking advantage of its geographical location, Jammu and Kashmir could become a nucleus towards forging a new economic alliance in the region," Mehbooba said.
The oil and gas resources of Central Asia are the nearest and most economical answers to South Asian energy needs and J&K can help foster energy cooperation in the region, she said.
"This will create favorable conditions for Jammu and Kashmir to play its natural role of connecting the two emerging economic zones and lift itself out of political and economic fragility, the Chief Minister added.
She said, "Such an arrangement will supplement the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through this part of Kashmir."
The trans-Kashmir corridor, with diverse sub-corridors, Mehbooba said, "was symbolic of relative peace, prosperity, cross-cultural and ideological fertilization and human security until late 1940s.
The government has to "heal the wounds" of youth and bring the misguided people back to the mainstream, Mehbooba said while announcing that her government will decide on a rehabilitation of those affected during last year's unrest in the Valley.
We are here to heal the wounds of the youth. Paying them a compensation of Rs 5 lakh is nothing as the loss of life can never be compensated," she said.
We have come out to heal the wounds of the people and we will decide here and it (rehabilitation) is we who have to decide it here as we have to live in Jammu and Kashmir," Mehbooba said.
"We have to heal the wounds of these children. We have to bring them back (to mainstream), she said.
She spoke on the issue as the Opposition parties National Conference and Congress created ruckus in the Assembly, asking the government to clarify whether it would pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed during last year's Kashmir unrest since PDP ally BJP is apparently not in its favour.