Srinagar: Days after Jammu and Kashmir Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah announced that controversial AFSPA
would be revoked from some areas; the state government on Sunday
said the Cabinet had approved amendments in the Public Safety Act (PSA).
"The government has now decided to revoke black laws to
remove sufferings of the people. The Cabinet has approved
certain amendments in the PSA to make it human. The scrapping
of AFSPA from the state in a phased manner is in the offing,"
Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said.
Human Rights groups have flayed the state government for
the arbitrary use of the PSA under which a person can be
jailed for two years without trial.
The Minister said the people of the state had "suffered a
lot due to black laws" implemented since 1990.
Addressing an inaugural function of a government treasury
at Ramhal-Handwara in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, Rather
said the Omar Abdullah government was keen to provide
"succour to the people and mitigate their sufferings".
PTI
First Published: Sunday, October 23, 2011, 22:07