India on backfoot, effort to embarrass Pakistan backfires

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 25 (APP): India’s attempt to rake up a
debate about a picture of a pellets-hit girl shown by
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi in the General Assembly
on Saturday appears to have backfired.
Instead, according to observers here, India’s use of
pellet guns against Kashmiris fighting Indian occupation received more international coverage.
Pictures of pelleted Kashmiris were tweeted extensively
Sunday night under the hashtag #MaleehaBlastedIndia. This
hashtag reached around 3.3 million hits that analysts called a solid reminder to the Indians about the atrocities they are carrying out against the people of Kashmir.
On the other hand, twitter support to Ambassador Lodhi, who spoke in right of reply to Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma’s Swaraj’s statement, antagonized many Indians. But, one observer commented, “Their (Indians) hatred for her is a badge of honour for Maleeha.”
The debate picture has appeared in Kashmir websites for
years, and Indian websites too. The Hindustan Times has used it
all the while, only to remove it the day of of Pakistan’s right
of reply.
While apologist for India’s brazen violation of the UN Charter
and human rights can debate pictures, facts however, are clear and uncontested, observers noted.
“Pictures and videos of close to a thousand pellet gun
victims testify to Indian brutality,” one observer said. In
addition, scores of articles, both in Indian and international
media prove the use of pellet guns by Indian security forces as a
tool of suppression to crackdown on Kashmiri freedom fighters.
The Guardian has termed blinding of Kashmiris by pellet guns in Indian occupied Kashmir as one of the biggest blinding activity of human history.
“Can India deny using pellet guns to blind Kashmiri
people?,” a political observer asked.
“Facts are for all to see; Indian Authorities are inflicting unimaginable physical harm and permanent disability on unarmed
civilians of Indian occupied Kashmir, and no amount of gimmickry
can change that.”
The only crime of these unarmed, peaceful Kashmiri protesters
is their legitimate demand for their right to self determination, he said.