Security forces to decide revocation of AFSPA: Farooq

Jammu, Mar 10: National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah today questioned the continuation of AFSPA in peaceful and zero militancy areas in Jammu and Kashmir and said security forces have to take a call on it.

"The decision of which (revocation of AFSPA) I cannot take, it has to be seen (and taken) by the security people (forces)", Farooq said in reply to a question whether AFSPA should continue in Jammu and Kashmir.

He, however, said that the act should be revoked from the area where "it was not needed" and at the places where there "was no terrorism". "See at those places where there is no terrorism, what is the need to impose AFSPA there.

It is not needed in places like Udhampur. "Keep it at the place where it is required and don't keep it at the place where it is not required", he said.

On the statement of the JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar that the army "indulged in Human Rights violation" in the Kashmir valley, Farooq Abdullah said that statements like such were bringing bad name for the armed forces at a time when young officers were laying down their lives for the motherland.

"I must appeal to the administration to rename the Udhampur railway station and name it for the young army captain who laid down his life for the nation" he said.

The former chief minister visited Udhampur to meet the family members of Captain Tushar Mahajan who laid down his life in an encounter with militants in the EDI building in Pampore area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district last month.

On a question about Indian cricket team playing against Pakistan in the world T20 tournament, he said that games should be kept away from politics. "As far as sports is concerned, keep India and Pakistan (politics) out of it, if you keep sports and politics together then you cannot play with anybody as India has so many enemies", he said.

On the issue of the delay in the formation of the government in Jammu and Kashmir, he said that it was upto the BJP and PDP to take a call on it. "They (BJP and PDP) are not making government, I don't have numbers it is with PDP and BJP and they have to take a call", he said.

PTI