By NAK
Srinagar: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti has warned against the extension of any anti-terror law devised for the country to the State of Jammu & Kashmir without the consent of the State legislature.
Addressing a series of election meetings in Eidgah constituency of Srinagar today, Mehbooba said her party would in no case allow any unilateral decision on extending any terror laws to J&K including the proposed National Investigating Agency.
The PDP president said introducing fresh curbs on civil liberties in J&K would be antithetical to the process of democratization of the State which is already reeling under the impact of the laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Disturbed Areas Act.
“This would particularly be an affront to the people of the State who are trying to come out of the trauma inflicted on them by incessant violence of two decades and are sending out strong signals of peace, amicability and tolerance through their current democratic exercise,” she said.
Mehbooba said, J&K was emerging as an island of peace in the sub-continent and could surrounding areas of the region in rejecting violence as a means of conflict resolution. “The extension of any further curbs on the people here could reverse the positively evolving scenario,” she cautioned.
The PDP president said the Government led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had refused to enforce POTA when it took over in 2002 even after the NC Government in collusion with Delhi had already extended it to J&K.
A hapless family in the downtown area of Srinagar was the first victim of this dreaded law in the entire country and to please his BJP partners the NC, Mehbooba alleged, had described it as an action against terrorism.
With the strength of a strong public mandate, the PDP will never allow a repetition of such arbitrary action against J&K and subversion of our special status. She said her party expected a full majority this time to protect the interests of the State against any kind of constitutional and unconstitutional excess.
PDP candidate for Eidgah constituency Asifa Tariq also addressed the meetings. It is here worthwhile to mention here that Central government under pressure after the Mumbai terror attacks on Tuesday introduced a Bill in Lok Sabha to set up a National Investigation Agency (NIA) and legislation to strengthen law against terror.
The National Investigation Agency Bill provides for setting up an agency at the Central level with powers to probe terrorism and other crimes having national ramifications across the country.