Home Ministry Can Take Call On AFSPA In J And K And Ladakh

The Union Cabinet Secretariat has notified rules reiterating that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be the authority on deciding the imposition of AFSPA in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh. As per the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, the UT of J&K will have a legislative assembly but Ladakh will not have one. The new LG of both the Union Territories were sworn in on Thursday but there is no sign of elections yet. Before the state of J&K was bifurcated, it was the MHA or the Governor that issued authority on Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 (21 of 1990). The notification issued by cabinet secretary also renamed the Department of Jammu and Kashmir in MHA as “Department of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Affairs”. The notification said the MHA department will be responsible for all matters relating to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir or UT of Ladakh, including counter-terrorism within J&K and coordination with the ministry of defense in regards to manning and managing the Line of Control between India and Pakistan, but excluding those with which the ministry of external affairs is concerned.