Omar says he has apprehensions over Guru's execution
Jammu, Aug 18 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday said that he has "apprehensions" if Dec 13, 2001, parliament attack convict Afzal Guru is hanged and he has conveyed these to the central government.
"Having seen the situation as chief minister for the past three years I have certain apprehensions if Afzal Guru is hanged," he said at a press conference here.
"But the decision lies with the president," he added.
Saying he has been against the hanging of Afzal Guru from the very beginning, Abdullah said the execution could disturb peace in Kashmir. "My interest is in peace in Kashmir," he stressed.
This is his first comment on Afzal Guru after the union home ministry sent the file on Guru's mercy petition to President Pratibha Patil.
Answering other questions, Abdullah observed that the prime minister should not be within the ambit of the proposed Lokpal, and only be subject of the ombudsman's inquiry after demitting office.
But he said this was his "individual view".
He noted that in Jammu and Kashmir, the chief minister is under the purview of the State Accountability Commission.
The chief minister reiterated that zero tolerance would be shown toward human rights violations in the state and accused the opposition Peoples Democratic Party of jumping to conclusions without waiting for the investigations to be completed.
He referred to the case of Kulgam where a woman had alleged that she was abducted and raped, but the investigations proved her allegations to be false.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti is misleading the people, Abdullah said.