Stop using shotgun pellets in Kashmir: UN chief

SRINAGAR — United Nations chief Antonio Guterres issued a statement, in which he urges Indian Government to put an end to use of ‘non-lethal’ weapons like pellet guns in Jammu and Kashmir that are used a riot control option.

The pellet gun has been in the controversy for over 10 years now, even though it was introduced in 2008 uprising but officially, it was put to use in 2010.

Now 10 later, UN chief has discussed the implications of the weapon on the human beings and it was found that the banned weapon causes partial to permanent loss of vision. The experts and the international community have been continuously condemning the use of this semi-lethal weapon and many believe that if a person is shot from the close range. it would kill.

The observations were made by the UN chief in the latest statement about the “Children and armed conflict”. The statement expressed shock as the crimes against children have increased in the war-torn and conflict-ridden countries such as Syria, Palestine, Somalia, D.R Congo and Pakistan, India & Afghanistan. The presser read that thousands of young children from the above-mentioned places were violated and their rights were offended.

The public places of concern such as schools, hospitals are attacked by the regimes, killing almost everyone that comes in contact of the bombs, and other explosives. The civilians are targeted, their properties destroyed and looted for military gains.

The Kashmir’s mention read that 39 children, 33 of which are boys and six girls, have been injured and nine of them have died in the confrontation with the security forces.

The UN chief added that ‘he is sure that India will protect the schools, teachers, students and universities from being affected by the armed conflict in the state and that all parties must follow the Vancouver Declaration for maintaining the safe schools’. The other aspects where India received its mentions were in Naxalites and their role in destroying the schools and killing of children.

Similarly, Pakistan’s mention in the presser read that ‘39 children were killed in the areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Baluchistan. Eight children were killed and maimed. 31 were killed by the unidentified perpetrators. The UN chief asked Pakistan government to establish the connections with special representatives of United Nations to make sure that children are protected and their rights are respected in these conflict affected areas’.

The report ended as “I am sure that the countries and their respective governments will show commitment in protection of the schools, children and other public places to make sure that these places are protected and respected under the humanitarian law”.