Recently, Lt. General Sayyed Atta Hasnain the General Officer Commanding 14 Corps and responsible for the Valley had made a presentation to Omar Abdulla. In his presentation General Hasnan has stated that removal of AFSPA is not just based on local conditions but has major ramifications. The threat from across the border from Pakistan sponsored jehadis has not abated but in actual fact is at an all-time high. There has been a marked increase in cross-border infiltration.

In POK, ISI is still running 42 Jehadi Training Camps. As per the assessment of Intelligence agencies there are 2500 jehadis across the border waiting to get into valley. This is very high figure.

Intelligence is also available that ISI and separatists of the Valley are working on a pattern. Last year, was high on violence and stone pelting in the valley, badly affecting the tourism industry, the main bread earner for the local population. This had annoyed the local public. So this year they are not stirring the trouble and allowing people to earn their livelihood. The tourism in J&K this year has hit record levels with a million tourists going there. This is just lull before storm. In other words despite its sweet talks Pakistan wants to keep this Jehadi Terror gun pointed towards India and we can not take this threat lightly. Recently, even Americans have been warning India of this existing threat.

Let us be clear in our minds that once AFSPA is lifted from certain districts, the jehadis from across the border will make a bee line for these areas for rest and relief. They will make these districts as their base from where they will sally out to launch terror attacks in other areas.

The AFSPA allows Army to fire upon and even cause death against any person working in contravention of law and order in an area declared disturbed by the state government. They can arrest any person without warrant but will have to hand over the same to police within 48 hours. They can destroy any arms dumps, terror training centers, etc. No legal proceedings can be initiated against Army Personnel without the sanction of the central government. It will be appreciated that almost the same powers are also available to local police but unlike police, Army is not answerable to local politicians like Omar Abdulla.

This is what irks these politicians because they want Army also to dance at their tune so they target AFSPA.

It has taken Army two decades to build its intelligence network in the Kashmir valley. In militancy prone states it is not guns and bullets of which Army has no dearth but the local intelligence that delivers the results. If AFSPA is removed from here then this will die its own death and army will be left high and dry and ineffective when it returns.

Army is meant for external security. This Act provides Army the legal protection when Army is used for internal security duties. We have more than half a million paramilitary forces under MHA in the country. Internal security is their job. Army should only be used in internal security duties in a democracy when things have totally gone out of hand.

If Mr. Abdulla is still unrelenting in his desire to partially lift AFSPA from certain areas then it is bound to lead to further untenable demands and situation getting out of control. Mr. Abdulla should declare the entire Valley as undisturbed and remove AFSPA. Army will gladly leave Kashmir Valley. Let Mr. Omar Abdulla and his police control the show in the Valley. Surely Abdulla can not have his cake and eat it too by keeping the Army also in the Valley and then demanding to curtail its powers. Why should Army loose its men to jehadi bullets for the incompetence and political game of Abdulla.?