Omar welcomes J&K Cong`s changed stand on AFSPA

Ganderbal: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said PCC chief Saifuddin Soz?s change of stand on AFSPA would help him in convincing the Centre to revoke the controversial act from some areas of the state.

"I feel there has been some change in that thought. Obviously, his (Soz) support in Delhi will go a long way for us to convince authorities on the need to take this step (partial revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)," Omar told reporters on the sidelines of a function here, 25 kms from Srinagar. Omar expressed satisfaction on the new approach taken by Soz on AFSPA. "If anything, I am glad that Soz is seeing things the way he is seeing it, because earlier he had publicly expressed reservations on removal of AFSPA selectively," he said. Soz, during a function at Congress headquarters in Srinagar had said, time had come for partial revocation of AFSPA from the state. He, however, said the issue should not be politicised. Omar said, there was no question of politicising the revocation of AFSPA on his part. "Please make no mistake ... At least from my side, this has not been politicised, nor will it be politicised in future," he added. Replying to a question, the Chief Minister said, he has taken up the issue of AFSPA revocation with concerned quarters at the Centre, but could not set a time frame when the revocation will take place. "I cannot predict future, but will keep trying," he said. Asked if AFSPA should be invoked in Chhattisgarh in the wake of the deadly attack by Maoists that left 28 persons dead, Omar said it was for the Centre and the state governments concerned to decide on the strategy to be adopted for dealing with the situation. "The kind of attacks we are seeing taking place in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, we have not perhaps seen such sort of attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. What strategy the Centre and the (respective) state governments devise to deal with these attacks, is up to them. We can only give our opinion in a closed room," he added. PTI