Pakistan to seek UNHRC action on Kashmir violence News
Pakistan to seek UNHRC action on Kashmir violence

Pakistani Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz [official profile] on Thursday announced [press release] his country’s intention to ask the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) [official website] to send a fact-finding mission to Kashmir [JURIST news archive] following recent civil unrest in the disputed region. Authorities used less-lethal pellet guns [WP report] during attempts to quell civil unrest in the Indian-administered territory, which Aziz described as “lethal force.” Aziz asserted that the use of such force “against the innocent civilians, protesting peacefully over extrajudicial killings, is deplorable and constitutes blatant violation of International Human Rights and Humanitarian laws.” Pakistan intends to ask the UNHRC to send a fact-finding mission to determine if Indian authorities violated international norms and to impose a ban on the use of pellet guns for crowd control.

The disposition of Kashmir is a recurring source of tension between India and Pakistan. Earlier this month, Pakistan accused [JURIST report] India of human rights violations after a clash between the Indian army and pro-independence rebels, which lead to the death of militant commander Burhan Wani of group Hizbul Mujahideen [official website]. Continued unrest following the clash preceded the use of force on which Pakistan now seeks UNHRC action. In March, the Delhi High Court in India granted bail [JURIST report] to a student political leader arrested for rallying against the execution of Kashmiri separatist Mohammed Afzal Guru. The government justified the arrests of rallying students on the grounds that they supported the Kashmiri separatist movement and the break-up of India. In October 2014, Pakistan asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for assistance in border protection [JURIST report] after at least 14 people were shot and killed near Kashmir. In June 2015 independent UN human rights experts urged [JURIST report] Pakistan to adopt urgent legislation to put an end to faith-based killings and protect the country’s Ahmadiyya Muslim [BBC profile] community.

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