ONCE again the Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister has accused India of using chemical weapons against defenceless Kashmiris. Earlier, the AJK president and Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) had accused Indian forces of using chemical agents to kill unarmed protestors.

Being a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), India can’t produce or use such weapons. It is unprecedented for the world’s largest democracy to use chemical weapons against civilians.

Amnesty International and other human rights organisations should verify this allegation. Besides, our FO should invoke the CWC’s “challenge inspection” clause. Under it, India stands bound to the principle of ‘anytime, anywhere’ inspections (by the CWC Director-General) with no right of refusal.

Saman Ali

Islamabad