UNITED NATIONS/ JEDDAH: The UN Secretary General has said that the recent killing of civilians by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir needs to be investigated.
“Civilians have to be protected wherever they are, whether it is in Gaza, whether it is in Jammu and Kashmir, whether it is in Yemen; it is a basic principle,” the UN Chief’s spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said in reply to a reporter’s question during his daily briefing. “Any loss of civilians needs to be investigated wherever they occur,” he added.
During protests in Srinagar on Monday, Indian police intervened in the Polo View area as the demonstrators tried to move towards the UN office in Sonwar area.
Stephane Dujarric said, “The Secretary-General is very concerned about the situation we see in Jammu and Kashmir.”
“He reminds that member states are responsible under international humanitarian law to protect civilians,” he said, adding, “The Secretary-General reiterates his call on member states to find ways to address disputes in a peaceful manner.”
On Sunday, at least 17 Kashmiris were killed by the Indian forces in Shopian and Islamabad districts of South Kashmir. The shutdown called by Joint Resistant Leadership (JRL) to mourn the killing of people by Indian forces entered its third day on Tuesday.
Indian authorities deployed troops and police personnel to prevent people from staging protests against the killings apart from placing resistance leaders, including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and Muhammad Yasin Malik under house arrest.
Meanwhile, The General Secretary of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Dr Yousef Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, has reiterated his call on India to allow access to the fact-finding mission of his Special Representative for Jammu and Kashmir and the OIC’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission to occupied Kashmir.
Dr Yousef Ahmad Al-Othaimeen in a statement issued in Jeddah called upon the world community to play its rightful role for a just and lasting solution to the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, OIC and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Dr Othaimeen also conveyed condolences to the families of the people recently killed by the Indian troops in occupied Kashmir and wished for speedy recovery of the injured. INP/Agencies
