The Centre plans to withdraw nearly 10,000 paramilitary personnel from Jammu and Kashmir this year as it feels that the state can do with less central forces. Talking to PTI, Home Secretary G K Pillai said, amendments to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) are still on the table. Government hopes that the committee of the Unified Headquarters in the State declares some areas in the state as “not disturbed” to make the controversial law redundant in those parts. The Home Secretary allayed fears that violence may return in the Kashmir Valley, saying several major steps have been taken post-September last year. Pillai said there was a need to reach out to people of Kashmir and not just reaching out to mainstream political parties. He said, the Government is planning to hold seminars in remote areas of the state with a team of 100 officers of the Centre along with state government officers listening to the problems of local Kashmiri’s.

Referring to India 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Mr. Pillai said, Government is contemplating sending a commission to the United States for getting evidence from Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist David Headley and his wife, who have been kept away from Indian investigators so far. He said, the National Investigation Agency, which is probing the case, also plans to file a charge sheet soon against the Pakistani-American terrorist who is accused of having done race of targets before the 26/11 Mumbai attacks that killed 179 people. Mr. Pillai said, after filing the charge sheet, the government would take permission from the court to send a commission to Pakistan also to question those who helped Headley and were giving directions to ten terrorists.