Kashmir casualties and AFSPA not connected: Army

The army reiterated on Thursday its opposition to the dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), with its vice-chief, Lieutenant General PC Bhardwaj, saying, “AFSPA has nothing to do with the casualties in Kashmir. It is a military functional Act, not a draconian Act. This was to allow an environment of stability for the government to function and administration to govern, and we have been doing it for 10 years. Civilians have a good equation with the army.”

Speaking on the sidelines of a defence function in New Delhi, Bhardwaj said the army chief and defence minister had made their positions on AFSPA clear to the government.

While the army maintains that lifting the Act from certain districts was a political decision, it has voiced concern that without AFSPA it would be difficult to operate in those areas. One of the reasons the government has been deferring a decision on diluting AFSPA is that amending the Act would involve parliament. The decision on repealing the Act from certain districts where violence has allegedly gone down is pending since the armed forces want legality of soldiers covered.

Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, who is chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, had said on Wednesday, “A soldier deserves all the legal protection that he can get.” Earlier in the week, army chief General VK Singh had said, “Though the army has operated in disturbed areas without AFSPA, operating in Kashmir is different and this Act is required in disturbed areas.”