UN asks India to protect civilians in held Kashmir

UNITED NATIONS: UN chief Antonio Guterres is “very concerned” over the situation in Held Kashmir and wants all member states including India to protect civilians, his spokesperson has said.

“The secretary general is, indeed, very concerned about the situation that we’ve seen in Jammu and Kashmir. He reminds that the member states are responsible under the international humanitarian law to protect civilians,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary General, told reporters at his daily press briefing Tuesday.

He said the secretary general reiterated his call on nations to find ways to address disputes in a peaceful manner. He added that civilians need to be protected wherever they are, “whether it’s in Gaza, whether it’s in Jammu and Kashmir, or whether it’s in Yemen. It’s a basic principle of this organization”. When asked if the secretary general is calling for an investigation into the matter, Dujarric said “any loss of civilians needs to be investigated wherever they occur”.

His remarks came after government forces Sunday martyred 13 freedom fighters in gunfights and four civilians in clashes that ensued after the encounters in Anantnag and Shopian districts of south Kashmir. More than 200 civilians were also injured.