SRINAGAR -  eacting to the statement of Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat on the issue of ‘human shield’, Human Rights Watch Executive Director Keneth Roth has tweeted saying Indian army chief shows ‘criminal leadership’.

“Indian army chief shows criminal leadership, backing as ‘innovative’ troops’ use of Kashmiri man as a human shield,” Human Rights Watch Executive Director Keneth Roth tweeted.

On Sunday the Indian army chief had termed the ‘infamous’ act of strapping a Kashmiri to an army jeep as ‘innovative’ and said the army officer was commended just to boost the morale of his army which is fighting a ‘dirty war’ in Kashmir.

Bipin Rawat even went on saying that: “I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do).”

Condemning Indian Army Chief Gen Rawat’s remarks that India is fighting a ‘dirty war’ in Kashmir, AIP supremo and MLA Langate Er Rasheed said, “It is not Indian army but the common Kashmiris who are facing the dirtiest aggression from Indian state only for the reason that they are seeking right to self-determination.”

In a statement Er Rasheed reminded Gen Bepin Rawat that Kashmiris never welcomed Indian army to enter the state, as it was Maharaja whose conspiracy brought Indian army in J&K just to suppress the voice of masses. It would be in India’s own interest if Bepin Rawat and others would ask New Delhi not to waste its energy in J&K but agree to durable political settlement to the long pending dispute.

Er Rasheed said, “It is astonishing to see Bepin Rawat publically making a wish if Kashmiri youth could take up guns, rather taking stones in their hands. By saying so Gen Rawat has unmasked the fact that Indian army enjoys killing Kashmiris and is just in search of excuses to kill them. The statement not only speaks about the insecurity among Indian security agencies but also justifies anger on roads. How can Kashmiris be blamed to instigate a dirty war when more than one lakh Kashmiris have been killed, every locality has seen huge destruction and security forces get perks, privileges and promotions for killing them”. Er Rasheed added that Bepin Rawat should not forget that J&K dispute is a political problem and he and his army are not fighting any trained armed army but the unarmed masses, whose conviction is much bigger than those threatening Kashmiris in New Delhi.

FO STRONGLY CONDEMNS INDIAN ARMY CHIEF'S STATEMENT

In Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria strongly condemned Indian army chief’s statement over ‘human-shields’ in Occupied Kashmir.

In a statement given by Zakaria, he observed that Human Rights Watch had branded Indian army chief’s statement a cruel act. He said that a movement had begun on a large-scale in Indian held-valley. He said that state-sponsored terrorism of India in Jammu and Kashmir caused loss of innocent lives.

The government of Pakistan has drawn attention of United Nations Organisation (UNO) and human rights bodies to the brutality in Kashmir, he added.

Zakaria said that Indian government had been approached in issue pertaining to missing Lieutenant Colonel (r) Habib in light of the information gathered so far. A letter was written to Indian High Commissioner, however, he said that no response has been given.

The FO spokesperson further urged UNO to have its resolutions implemented in the Occupied Kashmir. Over 1 million Kashmiris have been martyred in the last seven decades while thousands of the locals are missing.

Statement of the FO over Indian army chief’s ‘human shield’ remarks has come in after he was internationally condemned as an official used a Kashmiri man as a shield against stone-pelting protesters by tying him to his jeep.