New Delhi, Sept. 8: The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mr Omar Abdullah, met the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Wednesday and sought amendments to the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act and a political package for the troubled border state.
The Cabinet Committee on Security, scheduled to meet soon, is expected to take up the issue.
Sources said that keeping in mind the difficulties in demanding total withdrawal of AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir, the state has asked the Centre to implement the home ministry proposal of a phased withdrawal of the Act starting with a select few districts in Jammu and Kashmir each.
The amendments, they said, would make the law more humane.
Despite the home ministry’s efforts in the past, the move to tone down the draconian provisions of the Act by including more humane clauses has been stuck following resistance from the Army, which feels it needs adequate protection for its personnel.
Ahead of the CCS meet, the sources said a move is being considered to denotify certain areas declared as “disturbed” areas in the Valley, such as Srinagar and other towns, to break the deadlock over the removal of the AFSPA.
Earlier, the defence ministry had argued that the phased withdrawal of the AFSPA would create “pockets of peace” in the Valley which may allow militant groups to step up activities in such areas.
Mr Omar Abdullah had a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with the PM before he joined the iftar party hosted by Dr Singh. Mr Abdullah also met the Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, and briefed him on the ground situation in his state.