New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will meet on Saturday to discuss the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The CCS, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will also discuss the measures required to be taken to curtail the ongoing violence in Kashmir and the withdrawal of the Armed Force Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state.
The CCS has already sought the Army’s views on limiting its role in the state. Army Chief of Staff General VK Singh will brief the CCS after his return from Sri Lanka.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has already met the Prime Minister, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister AK Antony to seek their support on partial withdrawal of AFSPA from the state.
The Finance Minister is understood to have assured Omar of complete support of the Centre in dealing with the present situation. The two leaders had also discussed political and economic situation in the Valley besides other law and order related issues.
In his meeting with Antony, Omar stressed that AFSPA should be withdrawn from areas where it has not been put to use at all. Antony is believed to have told the Chief Minister about the reservation of the Army for any amendment or partial withdrawal of AFSPA from the state.
The meetings were part of the efforts of the Chief Minister for garnering support for amendment or partial withdrawal of AFSPA from at least four districts of the state ahead of crucial CCS meeting.
Omar had also urged the Prime Minister to kick-start a political dialogue with the separatists at the earliest.
Singh had said on Monday that CCS would have a “threadbare” discussion on the situation in the Valley.
“We are still groping for a solution,” Singh told editors of newspapers while pointing out that the Kashmir problem has existed for 63 years and prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had all attempted to tackle it.
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