50 EU Parliamentarians call for ban on using pellet guns against Kashmiris

A cross-party group of Members of the European Parliament (EP) have called for a ban on the use of pellet guns on civilians in Kashmir via a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The letter reads as:

“We, the undersigned, in our capacity as elected Members of the European Parliament, are writing to you to express our grave concern about the past and ongoing human rights violations against people in Kashmir, as reported in a recent OHCHR1 report. We are particularly concerned about the usage of pellet shotguns, responsible for blinding, killing and traumatizing hundreds of people in Kashmir. We particularly note the tragic case of 19-month old child who was gravely injured by a pellet gun (BBC report).

We are concerned that The Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act 1990 (AFSPA) and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act 1978 (PSA) give security forces virtual immunity against prosecution for any human rights violation. Therefore, we, the undersigned MEPs, urge the Indian government to: immediately end the use of pellet-firing shotguns in Jammu and Kashmir and bring all relevant Indian laws into compliance with international human rights standards; urgently repeal the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 and amend the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978 to ensure its compliance with international human rights law; provide full and effective reparation and rehabilitation to those who have been injured by pellet-firing shotguns, and to the families of those killed; establish independent and impartial investigations into all accidents where the use of pellet-firing shotguns led to deaths or serious injuries.”