Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir BJP on Wednesday urged the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to take cognisance of the reported killing of protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
According to the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a collective of activist groups, 37 unarmed peaceful protesters and people, including women and children who were not even protesting, have been killed by Pakistani forces in PoK in the last two days. The claim could not be independently verified.
It said the violence erupted on Monday when the JAAC launched a long march, coinciding with the first phase of polls for the so-called legislative assembly in PoK.
Expressing anguish and grave concern over the reports of civilian casualties and the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters, J&K BJP’s Human Rights Cell co-convenor Sarfraz Hamid Rather said the situation warrants the immediate attention of the international community.
“It is deeply disturbing that despite grave human rights violations (by Pakistan forces), the response of global human rights institutions appears muted,” he said in a statement here.
He asserted that human rights are universal, indivisible, and inalienable, and cannot be protected selectively based on geography, political considerations, or strategic interests.
The BJP leader called upon the UNHRC, OHCHR, and other credible international human rights organisations to take immediate cognisance of the reported incidents, ascertain the facts through an independent and impartial process, and ensure that a fair, transparent, and credible investigation is conducted.
Those responsible must be held accountable in accordance with international law, he asserted.
Rather said the world cannot afford to remain indifferent to reports of civilian suffering. “Every innocent life is precious, and every kind of violence deserves a prompt, impartial, and credible inquiry,” he said.
