Omar Abdullah holds talks with cabinet secretary

Amid reports of opposition by security forces to the removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah met union cabinet secretary Ajit Kumar Seth in Srinagar and discussed various “developmental” programmes with him.

“This year’s peaceful summer resulted in a highly successful tourist season, particularly in the Valley. It also contributed in fast-tracking development works and reaching out the benefits of the schemes to people across the State”, Omar said.
Seth is leading a joint team Union Secretaries to review flagship development schemes in Jammu and Kashmir.

The visit comes close on the heels of after Omar announcement that the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be withdrawn from certain areas of the state within next few days.

The issue has led to a friction with security forces opposing the removal on the grounds that it could impair the fragile security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Army has been arguing that that the AFSPA in J&K was necessary until the terrorist infrastructure was dismantled across the Line of Control (LoC).