AFSPA will go during my tenure: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday asked separatists 'to utilise the prevailing favourable atmosphere to discuss their viewpoint across the table'.

He said that 'The Kashmir issue has political genesis and it requires political methodology for being effectively addressed through a sustained dialogue process'. The chief minister was addressing the main Independence Day function at the heavily guarded Bakshi stadium on Wednesday morning.

"Let you come forward and talk for achieving a breakthrough on table which guns could not deliver in 20 years," he told them asking for their positive contribution in seeking peace and prosperity for the state and its people.

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Stating that the graph of violence in Jammu and Kashmir has shown considerable downward dip during past some years, the Omar substantiated his statements by giving figurative facts in this regard.

The chief minister said as against 370 violence incidents in 2010, the militancy related incidents in 2011 were 190 and in 2012 these were only 90.

He said civilian killings in militancy related incidents in 2010 were 50, these stood at 31 in 2011 and 8 in 2012. He said that 70 security personnel were martyred in 2010 while the number was 33 in 2011 and 7 in 2012.

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The chief minister said that the improvement in situation and restoration of peace in the state after a long period of over 22 years is an achievement worth to reckon.

He said this peaceful situation has helped fast track development across the state. Omar said the footprints of security forces on roads have been visibly decreased. "We have vacated all school buildings from the occupation of security forces. All hospitals but three have been freed from forces occupation."

The chief minister said 33 hotels, 256 government buildings and 25 industrial estates have also been cleared from the possession of security forces during the last over three years of his government.

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He said that 40 bunkers from Srinagar had been removed and 10 paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force companies and two Border Security Force companies relieved from security duty, transferring it to Jammu and Kashmir police.

The chief minister said that he had talked about gradual removal of AFSPA from some areas in his speech in the state assembly and he is continuously advocating for its gradual revocation from the areas where there is no need for such a law.

All roads leading to the stadium had been barricaded by the security forces and no movement was allowed in the area.

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The security forces had laid a three-tier security cordon around the stadium while sharp shooters had been positioned on all the high rise buildings around the stadium.

The separatist called shutdown was complete in capital Srinagar where shops, businesses and transport remained shut. Only skeletal private transport was seen plying on the streets heavily patrolled by the security forces. Reports of complete shutdown were received from other towns as well.

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