New Delhi, Nov 25: The contentious Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be revoked "one day" from Jammu and Kashmir, former state chief minister and union minister Farooq Abdullah said here Friday.
 "AFSPA will be revoked one day," the union minister for new and renewable energy said when asked by IANS correspondent whether the law that gives sweeping powers to the armed forces in fighting militants should be revoked from the state.
 Asked what his views were on the matter, Farooq, the National Conference chief, said: "The chief minister will decide."
 To a question whether his son, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would take his advice, the senior Abdullah laughed and walked away.
 Omar had on October 21 declared in Srinagar that AFSPA would be partially revoked from the state “within days”. His announcement was met with stiff resistance by the Army and the state Congress president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz. 
 Farooq, who was thrice chief minister of the state, was visiting the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy stall at the India International Trade Fair here Friday.
 Omar has been persisting with his demand partial lifting of AFSPA from the state. He has visited the national capital to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister AK Antony and the army chief, General VK Singh, to discuss the matter.
 At a cabinet meeting in Jammu Thursday, Omar Abdullah offered to amend the Ranbir Penal Code, which is special to the state, to bring it in line with the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to provide protective cover to the armed forces in counter-insurgency operations, sources said. IANS

Lastupdate on : Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT
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