Pakistani Americans launched an online White House petition this week, asking the United States to “stop India from blatant human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir.”
The petition has been launched amid ongoing violence in Indian-controlled Kashmir where, according to media reports, more than 100 civilians have been killed, hundreds blinded with pellet guns and thousands more injured since July.
The petition says the Indian Government through its Armed and Paramilitary Forces is committing “serious human rights violations in Illegally occupied Kashmir.”
According to the White House, “the right to petition your government is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. We the People is a platform that empowers the American public to take this action like never before – it’s a way for anybody, anywhere, to speak directly to the government and become an agent for change.”
“With We the People, you can easily create a petition online, share it, and collect signatures. If you gather 100,000 signature in 30 days, we’ll review your petition, make sure it gets in front of the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.”
The petition launched by the Pakistani community urges that the US, being one of the largest trade partners must forcefully stop India from such acts. It needs 100,000 signatures online by October 27, 2016 to get a response from the White House.
The petition (http://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/stop-india-blatant-human-rights-violations-indian-occupied-kashmir) asks the United States to help bring India to a judicious solution to the Kashmir dispute in the light of UN resolutions and build last peace in the regioin.
Islamabad has condemned Indian repression as state terrorism in the disputed Kashmir territory under New Delhi’s control. Hundreds of heartbreaking images of Indian forces’ brutalities against men, women, children and the elderly shared on the social media have drawn condemnation from human rights organizations.
Last week, Indian Americans also launched an online petition, asking the White House to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism. The ongoing violence and attack on an Indian military base in Uri have heightened South Asian tensions.
Amid escalating war of words and tensions along the Line of Control, the White House has counselled Islamabad and New Delhi to adopt a diplomatic course and hold talks to resolve outstanding disputes.
