The petitioners, however, challenged the government's contention, saying this was an attempt to "overawe" the court
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, was completely withdrawn in Meghalaya in 2018, Tripura in 2015 and Mizoram in the 1980s.
The Cabinet Committee on Security is meeting in New Delhi on Friday, two days after the return of an all-party delegation from Jammu and Kashmir.
LJP supremo Ramvilas Paswan on Thursday said he favoured autonomy for Kashmir and withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the region.
Amid a raging debate on the dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and its partial withdrawal from Kashmir, Army chief General V K Singh on Saturday said the AFSPA was an 'enabling provision' and not 'arbitrary'. The army has given its views on the issue and the government will take the "correct decision," he said.General Singh also said there have been more infiltration attempts into Jammu and Kashmir in the last two months and did not rule out 'some methods'.
'Sadly, we don't have a single political leader in any party who carries any kind of conviction in Kashmir.'
I thank the prime minister for calling this meeting. Before I begin I want to express my deep sense of sorrow at the continuing loss of life in Kashmir. I share the anguish of those who have lost their loved ones, and my heart goes out especially to the parents and families of children who have died.
Amid demands for withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from their state, Kashmiri Pandits on Wednesday opposed any such move and asked the Centre to take the views of all shades of opinion of the state before deciding on any major issue related to the state.
Distressed over the events in Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Singh said the government was willing to talk to anybody or any group but asserted that it could not happen till the end of violence, some of which is "orchestrated by certain groups".
Official sources said the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) could be held in the evening and if political parties want, an all-party delegation might also go to Jammu and Kashmir. The all-party meet is scheduled for 11:30 on Wednesday morning, a decision for which was taken after the Monday's CCS meeting.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has threatened to resign in the wake of the government's decision to call an all party meeting on Wednesday on the issue of repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the valley. "I will have to think whether to continue as chief minister of the state or not. Let my party president Dr Farooq Abdullah return and we will discuss the situation," Omar said.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony is learnt to have disapproved of the proposal mooted by J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in four districts in Jammu and Kashmir as it would affect the confidence of the armed forces, which were already managing in very difficult circumstances.
Ahead of a crucial meeting of the Centre on Kashmir, state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony to seek their support on the partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the state. Sources said Omar had met Mukherjee late on Wednesday night at the latter's residence for about half-an-hour, during which the chief minister presented his case for withdrawal of the AFSPA.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will on Wednesday convene the Cabinet Committee on Security meet to discuss the current crisis prevailing in the Kashmir Valley.
Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has warned citizens of the state that the Centre might re-impose the Armed Forces Special Power Act in the Imphal municipal area if the different underground outfits continue to unleash their reign of terror in the city.Describing the sharply deteriorated law and order situation in Manipur, the chief minister pointed out that "killing, extortion, hurling of grenade and bombs are happening at regular intervals," he said.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony on Friday said that two army divisions, comprising around 30,000 troops, have been moved out of Jammu and Kashmir due to improvement in the situation there.
"There is scope of reduction of troops is the Home Ministry's view. There are more than adequate forces in Kashmir and it can do with less central forces," Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said.
Notwithstanding opposition from the Army and faced with reports of fake encounters, the government is planning to go ahead with certain amendments in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which includes handing over of an Army personnel in case of extra-judicial killings to the state authorities.
Jammu and Kashmir, chief minister, Omar Abdullah assured the state assembly on Thursday that he will repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Disturbed Areas Act 'if the situation continued to improve' in Kashmir.
Without pointing to any political party or organisation, he alleged that some vested elements were hell-bent upon creating an atmosphere of mistrust against Army and advocating revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and recalling army back to barracks.
Irom Sharmila, has been fasting for 9 years against a controversial law.
The North East is a sizeable success story for the Modi government politically and for the BJP electorally. It will be an unpleasant surprise if they choose to blow it, bowing to their basic, polarising instinct at any point, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Abdullah, who had meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi on Monday, said he had raised the issue of withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act in a phased manner.
Vice-President Hamid Ansari, who had served as the chairman of a committee which favoured withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, on Saturday said the prime minister would take a decision on the matter.
Terming the Armed Forces Special Powers Act as an 'essential instrument,' Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju on Tuesday said the army was being 'demonised' and made a 'scapegoat' in Jammu and Kashmir affairs which are mainly linked to the peoples' 'aspirations.'
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met in New Delhi on Monday to discuss a package for Jammu and Kashmir hit by a fresh bout of violence since Eid last Saturday.
The Centre will look into the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and consider "every essential aspect", Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Friday while making it clear that maintenance of law and order will be the primary responsibility of the Jammu and Kashmir government.
The People's Democratic Party leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Monday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take urgent steps for revoking the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and withdrawing security forces from internal security duty in the Jammu and Kashmir.
After the PDP-BJP government was sworn in, the two parties released its Common Minimum Programme, outlining its aims and objectives for the state.
Irom Sharmila with Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey.
Army Chief General V K Singh has said people asking for withdrawal or dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir are doing it for "narrow political gains".
Describing India as a "vibrant electoral democracy with an abysmal human rights record", a prominent international group on Moday urged to take steps to check rights violation by its security forces. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) also asked the country to remove all "immunity clauses" in its laws that protect abusers of human rights.
Investigation has revealed that the Special Force Operation team had not followed the Standard Operating Procedure and the Rules of Engagement
Altogether 155 candidates are in fray for the polls in 29 Assembly constituencies spread over three valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West and Bishnupur, official sources said.
The solidarity demonstration and the fast is being organised by rights activists to attract global glare on the unabated human rights violation in the conflict zone of the Northeast by security forces empowered by the AFSPA.
Magsaysay Award winner and social activist Sandeep Pandey on Wednesday rued continued imposition of 'draconian' Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other 'black laws' in conflict-ridden north-east India and Jammu and Kashmir.
'Iron Lady of Manipur' Irom Sharmila, who has been on a fast for the past eight years to demand the withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur, has been re-arrested, police said on Tuesday. Sharmila, who was released on March 7 by a local court, was re-arrested on Monday on charges of attempted suicide, after she went on hunger-strike again, they said.Sharmila had begun her fast unto death in 2001.
'The Arunachal border is not demarcated in that way, so there can be differing perceptions (between two sides)'
Ruling coalition partner People's Democratic Party on Sunday sought a special Cabinet meeting to discuss demilitarisation and withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and People's Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has linked the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and reduction in the number of deployed troops to the ongoing peace process.
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