Amnesty starts online and postcard campaign to petition JK CM for ban on pellets

Srinagar: Seeking ban on pellet guns, human rights group, Amnesty International India has launched an online and postcard campaign to seek support from people across Jammu and Kashmir with an aim to petition region’s Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti.
In a statement, the Amnesty International said that the campaign aims to bring people from across Jammu and Kashmir to write postcards to the state Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
“It is shameful that the serious concerns raised repeatedly regarding the use of pellet-firing guns have failed to receive sufficient attention from the state government,” said Aakar Patel, Executive Director, Amnesty International India.
Saying that pellet-firing pump-action shotguns have been responsible for killing, blinding and injuring thousands of people in Kashmir, Amnesty International said that it has launched a postcard campaign and online petition on Tuesday to seek ban on the use of the shotguns.
In its statement, Amnesty International also said that these so called ‘non-lethal’ weapons have killed 14 people since July 2016, while thousands have suffered injuries.
“Through this campaign, we want to send a message to the state government that the people of Kashmir want an immediate end to the use of pellet-firing shotguns. The voices of the victims and those who stand in solidarity with them must be heard,” said Zahoor Wani, campaigner, Amnesty International India.
In September, last year, Amnesty International India had released a report, “Losing Sight in Kashmir: The Impact of Pellet-Firing Shotguns”, which documented cases of 88 people whose eyesight was either temporarily or permanently damaged by pellets.