The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been removed from all areas in Meghalaya and parts of Arunachal Pradesh, people familiar with the matter in the Home Ministry said today. The AFSPA is meant to enhance the effectiveness of security forces while operating in a hostile environment by muting civilian legal implications. Rights activists in locations where the AFSPA has been imposed have criticised the law as too harsh to be used on the country's own civilians.