Human rights activist and chairman of International Forum for Justice and Human Rights - JK Mohammad Ahsan Untoo on Saturday criticised authorities for what he termed as gross violation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in Kashmir.Condemning the killing of three civilian youth including a teenage girl in “direct” army firing at Redwani in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday, Untoo told GNS the Chief Secretary, DGP and Chief of the Army Staff are “directly responsible” for the continuous bloodshed in Valley.“Are bullets the answer to stones,” Untoo asked. “What wrong did the teenage girl commit?”“The army can launch a search operation in the civilian population only when the concerned SP and magistrate accompany them. According to the SOP, the army cannot open fire unless and until the magistrate gives them orders,” he said, adding, “The SOP has been violated in the region at the behest of the CS, DGP, and Army chief.”Untoo also lashed out at national electronic media for their “biased” reporting on Kashmir.“The anchors and the people whom they get for debate on the national TV channels are actually criminals as they never realize the sentiments of the people of Kashmir.
These criminals are also responsible for bloodshed in Valley,” he said, adding, “We Kashmiris are not against the people of India but the people of India must feel the pain of Kashmiris.”The rights defender added, “Those who are violating the SOP at the behest of their ‘masters’ and are committing grave human rights violation in Kashmir don’t think that by using force on unarmed people they are on winning side, but the day will come when the people of India will realize that these ‘masters’ have destroyed their own country.”“On one hand, these so-called masters are celebrating the Daughters’ Week and here in Kashmir, these criminals are killing our daughters,” Untoo said.He appealed all human rights activists working in Kashmir or outside State to come on streets.“Time has come to take on streets,” he said, adding, “It is now extreme. The time has come to resolve Kashmir dispute.”“I appeal to people of Kashmir including mothers, daughters and sisters to be ready to come on roads as now the life and honour of our daughters are not safe,” Untoo said.He also condemned the shifting of Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Aasiya Andrabi and her aides Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen to Delhi’s Tihar jail, by NIA.It is shame on part of the government,” Untoo said. (GNS)