On December 15, seven civilians were killed and several others were injured when security forces allegedly open fired at clashing protesters at the encounter site in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district in which three militants and an Army jawan were killed.
A protest demonstration against the recent killings of seven civilians by security forces in Pulwama district in J&K was held by members of civil society on December 19, 2018, at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. It was organized by National Alliance of People’s Movement, Khudai Khidmatgar, P.U.C.L.(Delhi), Delhi Solidarity Group, Socialist Yuvjan Sabha (SYS), Sadbhav Mission and Pakistan India People’s Forum For Peace and Democracy.
On December 15, seven civilians were killed and several others were injured when security forces allegedly open fired at clashing protesters at the encounter site in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district in which three militants and an Army jawan were killed.
There were protests and stone-pelting by villagers as Army and police vehicles were leaving the encounter site. Following which, security forces opened fire at protesters. However, according to the police statement, locals which thronged the encounter site got caught in the gunfire.
Former J&K chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah termed it a badly executed encounter. ‘’7 dead. There is no explanation for this excessive use of force, none whatsoever. This is a massacre & that’s the only way to describe it.’’
People’s Democratic Party chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti said no country could win a war by killing its own people. “I strongly condemn these killings, and once again appeal for efforts, to stop this bloodbath,’’ she tweeted.
The preparedness of security forces would, in the context of the Pulwama incident, be the ability to make the distinction between combatants and non-combatants, People’s Conference chairman Sajjad Lone said. “If u end up killing 7 civilians in order to kill 3 militants, it is time for heads to roll. We can’t afford a state of impunity,’’ Lone tweeted.
