evidence: The decision by civilian authorities to bring in the armed forces to address the political issues was based on an apparent trust between the institutions, without any signs of rivalry. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) of 1958 reflects an aspect of this relationship that allows the forces to influence governing decisions. The act provides the military with legal protections and special powers to control, search, and seize in implementing their role as aid to civilian authorities in disturbed areas. Keeping the forces outside the jurisdiction of the National Human Rights Commission set up in 1993 is driven by similar imperatives. The state seeks to provide the forces with constitutional protections, giving itself and the forces legitimacy of the public opinion that seeks legal reasoning for coercive action.