Indian policy of denyin­g access to indepe­ndent observ­ers raises legiti­mate concer­ns, says FO spokes­person­Pakistan has called for an independent investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians in Indian-held Kashmir. “We have noted with serious concern the media reports [relating to the use of chemical weapons],” Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said during a weekly news briefing on Thursday. The spokesperson was asked if Pakistan planned to raise at the international fora the use of chemical weapons by Indian forces, causing “deaths of many”. “Should these reports find credence, this use [of weapons] would constitute a breach of Indian international obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.”IoK observes complete shutdown against Indian brutalities“We call for independent investigations into such reports, including through Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Faisal added. In September, Amnesty International reiterated its call for a ban on pellet-firing shotguns used by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir to quell civilian protests.

Source: The Express Tribune November 30, 2017 13:22 UTC