India to revoke impunity law in parts of Kashmir

(October 21, 2011) Indian authorities plan to partially revoke a controversial law that shields government forces from prosecution in its portion of Kashmir. Indian Kashmir's top elected official Omar Abdullah told police officers on Friday that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act will be withdrawn in the next few days from areas where militancy has ebbed in recent years. At present, army and paramilitary officers can search homes and make arrests without warrants, shoot at anyone suspected of being a separatist and blow up any building or home. Rights activists accuse Indian troops of routinely abusing the extraordinary powers and killing of innocent civilians. Since 1989, more than 68,000 people have died in an armed uprising and subsequent crackdown by Indian forces in Kashmir.