Repeal AFSPA for credible democratic set-up: Mufti Srinagar, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today called for strengthening of democratic and civil institutions in the state to pave way for the settlement of the Kashmir issue through globally accepted means. Addressing party office-bearers from the Srinagar parliamentary constituency, Mufti said democratic space could no longer be squeezed for security concerns. “It is important that security concerns are addressed but not without providing full democratic space to the people where they could run their civil institutions without someone having to breathe down their neck,” he observed. Mufti said restoration of all human rights by revoking emergency laws are not just slogans for the PDP but a necessity for bringing the people of the state back from a deep-seated sense of injustice, deprivation and alienation. “Rolling back legislations like AFSPA is inescapable and the PDP has from the very beginning delivered on this front with credit,” he said. Mufti recalled he had taken up the revocation of AFSPA with the Prime Minister and to review the law, a high-level committee was constituted by the Central Government in 2007 on his initiative. “But subsequent events resulted in a logjam like most other initiatives that were taken by the PDP-Congress government,” he said and regretted this important issue had now been reduced to a mere slogan to hide failure on the governance front. Questioning the wisdom of asking the security forces to prevent recourse of educated youth to join armed resistance, Mufti said it would signify failure of the political leadership. “The youth are clearly alienated for a variety of reasons that include police repression, injustice, scandalous employment policy and muzzling of dissent by the government” said Mufti while appealing young people to strengthen democratic process and secure empowerment through the system.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 04:42:22 +0000
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