Mufti promises to initiate process of scrapping AFSPA

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed on Friday said that his government would initiate the process of scrapping the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state.

"I can't promise as there is involvement of the Ministry of Defence but we will start the gradual process of scrapping of the AFSPA," Mufti said while addressing the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

Mufti also urged the Indian Army to hold its personnel accountable for actions taken, recalling the Budgam firing incident of 2014, where the soldiers had fired at a car when it did not halt in time at a check post, leading to the deaths of two youths.

"There must be a standard procedure. The Army must hold its personnel accountable before the AFSPA is scrapped," he said.

"Two youths had been mistaken as terrorists in Budgam and were shot by the Army. The reports later confirmed that they were innocent," he added.

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA ) 1958, confers special powers upon armed forces in what the act calls "disturbed areas" in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. It was later extended to Jammu and Kashmir as the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act in July 1990.