New Delhi, Sep 8 (Agencies): Indications of an ”Eid package” for Jammu and Kashmir were available today with the Centre considering amendments to the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or its partial withdrawal in the state at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Friday. These indications were available after a meeting between Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when the Centre was urged to amend the AFSPA or its partial withdrawal from some of the districts in the state.
Omar, who flew in here and met Singh, also urged him to kickstart a political dialogue with the separatists at the earliest. During the 45-minute meeting, Omar highlighted the need for amendments in the AFSPA to make it more humane.
“Yes, I have requested the Prime Minister to take a decision on amending the AFSPA or at best withdrawing it from some areas where it was not required. To begin with we may choose four districts in the state on experimental basis,” Omar said after the meeting.
Omar said, “Some calculated risks have to be taken.Let us see.”
Asked whether he was hopeful, he said, “If I am not hopeful, I won”t be here.” Highly placed sources in the government said the Centre was likely to take a decision soon on the changes in the special law, that has been enforced in Jammu and Kashmir to tackle the situation there.
They said the CCS is likely to take a decision in its Friday meeting whether certain provisions in AFSPA should be amended by incorporating some more “humane” clauses.
