ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Bar Association and other bar associations of the country on Friday presented a memorandum to the United Nations Office in Islamabad asking the UN Security Council (UNSC) to restrain the Indian government, by passing a resolution, from using fatal weapons against innocent Kashmiris.

The memorandum on protecting the human rights of the people of the India-held Kashmir from inhuman, illegal, brutal, barbaric and criminal acts by Indian security forces was meant to draw the attention of Vitlorio Cammarota, Director of the UN office in Islamabad, towards the plight of the people in India-held Kashmir.

Recalling the use of pellet guns, pepper gas and other dangerous weapons by Indian forces against Kashmiris participating in a funeral during which 60 people were killed and more than 5,000 injured, the memorandum appealed to the UNSC to make India comply with the resolutions of the UN on the dispute of Kashmir.

In the present situation, the memorandum said, the silence on the part of the UNSC and other international institutions amounted to criminal negligence.

The memorandum regretted that the Indian government had intentionally suspended the mobile phone and internet services in the occupied valley. It asked to allow the international media to work in held Kashmir so that the ground realities were presented before the international community in a transparent manner.

The memorandum deplored the ban imposed by the Indian government on the publication of newspapers in India-held Kashmir to hide their brutality from the international media.

It demanded that office-bearers of bar associations and senior lawyers from Pakistan be allowed to visit the bar associations in held Kashmir. For the purpose, the Indian government should issue visas to them and make foolproof security arrangements for them.

It also highlighted the need for employing immediate rescue measures like medical aid that should include doctors, ambulances, medicines, etc., in addition to access of international and Pakistan’s human rights foundations and rescue missions to help hapless Kashmiris in this hour of need.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2016