Extrajudicial killings: Indian forces kill three Kashmiris in alleged gun battle

Pakistan urges world to get bloodshed stopped

SRINAGAR: Three Kashmiris were killed in an alleged gun battle with Indian forces in the Pahalgam area of Indian Occupied Kashmir, drawing a scathing denunciation from Pakistan.

“Pakistan strongly condemns systematic and brutal killing of Kashmiris by the Indian occupation forces in IOK and once again urges the United Nations, human rights organisations across the globe and international community to act to stop bloodshed of Kashmiris by India,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Since the current phase of uprising started in the wake of Kashmiri youth leader, Burhan Wani’s extra-judicial killing on July 8 last year hundreds of Kashmiris have been martyred.



Indian forces have mercilessly used lethal weapons with the intent to kill. They have deliberately used pellet gun shots injuring over 7,000 Kashmiris. The eye injuries caused by the pellet gun shots has blinded, completely or partially, over a thousand, including children.

“The constant terrorist activities of RSS and its affiliates in IOK with the state’s backing, arbitrary arrests of thousands of Kashmiris with their fate remaining unknown, continued detention of Hurriyat leaders, disappearances and fake encounters, and blatant use of draconian laws to silence Kashmiris’ voice are highly deplorable and call for accountability of the perpetrators,” added the statement condemning the attack.

It said it was a matter of great disappointment that India remains adamant in not allowing independent investigations into grave human rights violations in IOK as repeatedly called for by the UN Human Rights Commissioner, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, various countries’ legislative assembly members and civil society members.

“The international community should take steps to ensure independent investigations in IOK without further delay,” it urged.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2017.