State Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police seeking a detailed report about incidents involving civilian killings in Shopian and the action taken thereafter. The Commission issued the notice after petitioner Muhammad Ahsan Untoo who is also the chairman International Forum for Justice filed a petition accusing authorities as well as army of violating not only Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), but also the guidelines of Supreme Court of India.
The petitioner has alleged that Army has been violating the guidelines of Supreme Court. “As per Supreme Court guidelines, Army is supposed to inform local police and the Magistrate before launching any operation against militants, however, army doesn’t do so.” Narrating the two incidents of Ganawpora and Pahnoo villages of South Kashmir’s Shopian district, the petitioner has said that army violated all the norms and indulged in civilian killings. The petitioner in his petition to the State Human Rights Commission has stated that Army had inputs about the movement of militants at Pahnoo village of Shopian but it gunned down those civilians who were moving in a vehicle. As per petitioner, after every killing, tall claims are being made to punish the killers but till date nobody has been punished even as government save the Major Aditya Kumar who was responsible for the civilian killings at Ganowpora Shopian.
“In order to make government as well as police administration accountable, I request the commission to seek details from the authorities about the civilian killings and the action take thereafter,” the petition reads. Taking cognizance of the petition, Abdul Hamid Wani, the member of the Commission, issued a notice to Chief Secretary and the police chief directing them to submit report by April 2 before the Commission.