Will repeal PSA if voted to power, says Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: On Thursday, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said that if his party, National Conference (NC), is elected to power with absolute majority in the Assembly, it will repeal the state’s stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).

“I assure you and through you I assure the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the day National Conference makes its government on its own, God willing in 2019, within days I will repeal PSA. I am telling you that I will blot it out from the papers forever,” Mr Abdullah said while addressing a convention of party workers, functionaries, and delegates at Pulwama in South Kashmir.

Under the PSA, a person can be detained up to a period of two years without seeking a formal trial.

However, such detentions are subject to periodical reviews by an official screening committee and can be challenged in open courts as well.

The law was introduced during the Sheikh Abdullah government in the 1970s, initially to discourage timber smuggling. However, it has often been used by the successive state governments against their political opponents, drawing severe criticism from human rights groups at home and abroad.

In 2012, the state legislature amended PSA by relaxing some of its strict provisions. In the case of first-time offenders or individuals, who act against the security of the state for the very first time, the detention period was reduced from two years to six months. However, the option of extending the term of detention to two years was kept open if there was no improvement in the conduct of the detainee.

“In 2012, my government had mellowed down the PSA by bringing some amendments to it. However, this time I assure you all that if NC comes to power on its own with a strong mandate, we will take no time to revoke the act completely,” he said.

He also said that he continued to pursue the revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) throughout his stint as a chief minister.

“I’ve not given up on the issue. Once in power, I will revive the effort of pursuing the matter with forthcoming Central government as it can’t be revoked without its consent,” he said.

He added that the state has witnessed many “handicapped” governments in the form of coalitions and it was time to vote to power a single party by the people.