A father holds his son, said to have been injured by security forces with pellet-firing shotguns in Srinagar, Kashmir, on Aug. 18, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS
The statement came after Senior Hurriyat leaders including Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik met All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Geelani outside his residence after Indian police refused to let them enter the house.
Denouncing frequent search operations conducted by Indian forces in IoK, especially in South Kashmir villages, the forum observed the indiscriminate and inhumane use of pellet guns against Kashmiris served as an 'eye-opener' to all human rights organisations across the globe.
Amnesty calls for ban on pellet shotguns in held Kashmir
Earlier, Amnesty International reiterated its call for a ban on pellet-firing shotguns used by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir to quell civilian protests. In a report the rights group said it had interviewed 88 people whose eyesight had been damaged by the metal shot from the pump-action guns.
“The injuries and deaths caused by this cruel weapon bear testimony to how dangerous, inaccurate and indiscriminate it is,” Akar Patel, executive director at Amnesty International India, said in a statement. “There is no proper way to use pellet-firing shotguns. It is irresponsible of the authorities to continue the use of the shotguns despite being aware of the damage they do.”
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