The coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir will "thoroughly review the security situation in state" to determine the "need and desirability" of special laws, new chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed told the media after he and his 25-member cabinet took oath in Jammu today.
The reference was to the controversial and contentious Armed Forced Special Powers Act, or AFPSA -- which gives the army the authority to make arrests without warrants. His party, the People's Democratic Party, had demanded that AFSPA be removed from areas that were peaceful in the state. But alliance partner BJP and the Army had been unwilling to change their stand on the matter.
"The removing of AFSPA is not the main issue," the new Chief Minister said today. Asked if the current understanding on the matter was disappointing, he told NDTV, "I'm not disappointed. I am head of unified command. I know what's what. I will ensure that the army is accountable if there is any wrongdoing... if environment improves, AFSPA will also go."
The two parties, which had diametrically opposite views, took two months to come to an agreement. The result is a Common Minimum Programme, which will work as a roadmap for governing the state.
Maintaining the state's constitutional status was a key demand, Mr Sayeed has firmly opposed any attempt to weaken Article 370, which grants special status to J&K.
The coalition government, he said, "will be empowered to catalyse reconciliation and confidence-building measures" within and across LoC.
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