In less than two months, over twelve petitions have been filed before State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) regarding the rise in civilian killings in Southern Kashmir.
Amid rise in civilian deaths in forces’ action, rights activists have filed petitions before SHRC and sought report from police about the standard operating procedure (SOP) followed while dealing with civilian protests. On Monday a petition was filed by Chairperson International Forum for Justice and Human Rights, Ahsan Untoo regarding the killing of five civilians in Shopian district on Sunday. The petitioner has also sought explanation from police regarding SOP followed during the encounter.
Another petition was filed by Chairperson Centre for Peace and Protection of Human Rights, MM Shuja regarding the killing of Umar Kumar of Pinjoora, Shopian by government forces. Couple of weeks ago, another petition was filed by Untoo before SHRC regarding civilian killings in Kulgam.
The petitioner submitted before the SHRC to direct the government forces to explain the SOP followed while dealing with militants, also seeking explanation from the police as to “why the civilians are deliberately targeted and inhumanely killed during gunfights with militants.”
Earlier this year, on January 24, Saima Wani received bullet injury on her head when she tried to come to the rescue of her militant brother who was killed during a gunfight in Chaigund village of Shopian district. Wani was critically injured and admitted in the intensive care unit at SKIMS where she succumbed to her injuries on February 11. A petition was filed in this case by Ahsan Untoo before SHRC, seeking response from the police about the procedure followed during the operation. However, police is yet to respond to the commission on the SOP followed. Similarly police is yet to respond to SHRC about the SOP followed when the army personnel shot dead four civilians travelling in two cars in Pahnoo village of Shopian in March this year after the militants attacked an army vehicle.
More recently, on April 1, 13 militants were killed and four civilians shot dead in three gun battles with the government forces in Shopian and Anantnag districts, leaving about 200 people injured in protests near the encounter sites. The commission again sought report from police about the SOP followed during the encounters. Like in earlier cases, the police did not respond to the commission.