UN rights office calls for international probe in Kashmir

The UN human rights chief called Thursday for an independent, international investigation into reports of rights violations in the disputed region of Kashmir, laying blame for civilian deaths and injuries on the actions of both India and Pakistan.

In its first report on the region, the office of Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, details “chronic impunity for violations committed by security forces.” The report was written without visiting the region as both sides refused to grant unconditional access to the investigators.

The decades-old dispute “has robbed millions of their basic human rights,” Zeid said. He called for the UN-backed Human Rights Council that begins a new session on Monday to create a “Commission of Inquiry” to investigate alleged abuses in the region.

India rejected the report as “fallacious, tendentious and motivated” and called it a selective compilation of largely unverified information. It said it has protested to Zeid’s office.

“We question the intent in bringing out such a report,” said Raveesh Kumar, the External Affairs Ministry spokesman. “It is overtly prejudiced and seeks to build a false narrative.”

The 49-page report adds to criticism about India’s tactics in Kashmir, saying its security forces used “excessive force that led to unlawful killings” and caused many injuries. It cited a 20-month span starting in July 2016 in which 145 civilians were killed by security forces and a further 20 by armed groups, according to figures from civil society groups.