PDP demands scrapping of Armed Forces Act

People's Democratic Party staged demonstrations and sit-ins across Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday demanding revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and pullout of troops from internal security duties.

Amid heavy showers, the main opposition party in J&K took out rallies and staged sit-ins at district headquarters as part of its state-wide agitation for the fulfillment of its demands.

Accompanied by a large number of party activists carrying banners and placards, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti led the demonstration in the summer capital Srinagar.

Justifying her party's demands, Mehbooba told reporters: "The time has come for revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and return of army troops and para-military forces to barracks."

The forces were deployed when the situation warranted it, but now the state was on the threshold of normalcy, she said.

Heavy presence of troops in civilian areas and "unbridled" powers vested in them were coming in the way of resolution of the Kashmir problem, the PDP chief said.

"It is high time the state government, its agencies and the civil society are allowed total freedom without security forces breathing down their necks," she said.