Widely hated security laws that give Indian forces sweeping powers to search, arrest or shoot in occupied Kashmir are to be withdrawn in parts as rebel violence declines sharply in the region, chief minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday.
The revocation of the laws, in place for more than two decades, could be a first step by New Delhi to win hearts and minds in the country's only Muslim-majority region where anti-Indiian sentiment still runs deep. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) are controversial laws that give government troops sweeping powers to arrest suspects without charge and give troops substantial immunity from prosecution.
"With the gradual improvement in the security situation and return of peace, some laws (AFSPA, DAA) are being removed from some areas within next a few days," Omar Abdullah told a police function in occupied Srinagar. "The return of a peaceful situation has paved the way in this direction and these laws would be revoked from all parts of the state with the restoration of peace and tranquillity."