India reviews decades old counter-terrorism measures

On 8 December the Indian Government established a Committee to Review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which was passed to address insurgency in North East India. The Act empowers the armed forces to arrest individuals without warrant, to destroy any structure that may be hiding absconders without verification, to search and seizure without warrant and to shoot even to the causing of death. No legal proceeding against abuse of such arbitrary powers can be initiated without prior permission of the central government. This review follows the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).