March 20, 2009 7:22:04 pm
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA),which has been in force for nearly two decades in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir,will come to an end during the tenure of his government,Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said.
After the Army submitted its report on the killing of two youths in Bomai-Sopore last month,Omar said,”I am the first Chief Minister who has assured on the floor of state assembly that AFSPA will be withdrawn.
“Things are changing fast towards normalisation and I can assure that this Act will come to an end during the tenure of National Conference-Congress government,” Omar said.
The Army earlier submitted its report into the February 21 killing of two youth at Bomai village near Sopore town in North Kashmir.
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A junior commissioned officer and two soldiers were indicted for various lapses in connection with a firing incident and the Army ordered disciplinary action against the three which will commence with immediate effect.
Omar said his government did not believe in only ordering a magisterial probe and then forget about them.
“I only ensured that the Army probe and investigations by the police were completed in a time-bound manner. This has happened,” he said.
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