AFSPA an enabling provision, says Army Chief

CHENNAI - Army Chief General V K Singh on Saturday said that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) should be seen as an “enabling provision” and not as an “arbitrary” injunction.

Talking to reporters here, General Singh said: “I think the government will take a correct decision on what is to be done about it.”

“We have told the Ministry of Defence whatever the Army has to say and the matter is under the consideration of the government,” he added.

Earlier, General Singh said that the political leadership, and not the army, would decide on revoking the terror law in Kashmir.

“The Army had no role in deciding on the continuance of the contention us AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir. That’s for the leadership to decide. The army doesn’t decide that,” he said.

“The whole thing is under active consideration of the Prime Minister. I think we should await for his sagacity and political acumen,” he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, a cross section of leaders decided after an all-party meeting held in New Delhi on the Kashmir issue, to send an all-party delegation to find a solution to end the violence in the Kashmir Valley.

Though no consensus emerged on key issues that formed the agenda of the over five-hour-long marathon meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, political leaders expressed satisfaction with the tone and tenor of the deliberations.

Removal or amending the controversial AFSPA will not be under consideration for now, as the leaders said that efforts to restore peace must be given a chance to succeed.

Earlier the Central Government had issued an official statement that acknowledged ‘the trust deficit’ and ‘governance deficit’ in Jammu and Kashmir.

The recent eruption of violence has left the government searching for a new strategy for dealing with the protests.

At least 93 people have died in the last three months. The Kashmir Valley has also been subjected to a series of shutdowns and frequent curfews during this period. (ANI)