2016–2017 Kashmir unrest
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The 2016–2017 unrest in Kashmir, also known as the Burhan aftermath, refers to violent protests in the Indian state of
Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...
, chiefly in the
Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian- union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and ...
. It started after the killing of militan leader
Burhan Wani Burhan Wani (19 September 1994 – 8 July 2016) was a commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, an Islamist militant organization and insurgent group of the Kashmir conflict. He had become a popular figure amongst the local Kashmiri populace, having do ...
by Indian security forces on 8 July 2016. Wani was a commander of the Kashmir-based Islamist militant organisation
Hizbul Mujahideen Hizbul Mujahideen, also spelled Hizb-ul-Mujahideen ( ar, حزب المجاھدین, ), is an Islamism, Islamist militant organization operating in the Kashmir region. Its goal is to separate Kashmir Valley, Kashmir from India and merge it with ...
. Curfew was imposed in all 10 districts of the valley on 15 July and mobile services were suspended. Protests started in all 10 districts of the
Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian- union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and ...
. Protesters defied curfew with attacks on security forces and public properties. Kashmir valley then remained under 53 consecutive days of curfew. The curfew was lifted on 31 August, but was reimposed in some areas the next day. Jammu and Kashmir police and Indian paramilitary forces used pellet guns,
tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...
shells,
rubber bullet Rubber bullets (also called rubber baton rounds) are a type of baton round. Despite the name, rubber bullets typically have either a metal core with a rubber coating, or are a homogeneous admixture with rubber being a minority component. Altho ...
s, as well as assault rifles. More than 90 civilians were killed and over 15,000 civilians were injured, including many who were blinded by pellet guns. Two security personnel died and over 4,000 were injured. Columnists including
Prem Shankar Jha Prem Shankar Jha (born 22 December 1938) is an Indian economist, journalist and writer. He has served in the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank and as the information advisor to the Prime Minister of India. As a journalist, he ...
termed the unrest as Kashmir's ''
Intifada An intifada ( ar, انتفاضة ') is a rebellion or uprising, or a resistance movement. It is a key concept in contemporary Arabic usage referring to a legitimate uprising against oppression.Ute Meinel ''Die Intifada im Ölscheichtum Bahrain: ...
''.


Background

In the
2014 Indian general election General elections were held in India in nine phases from 7 April to 12 May 2014 to elect the members of the 16th Lok Sabha. With 834 million registered voters, they were the largest-ever elections in the world until being surpassed by the 2019 ...
, the
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
(BJP) won a majority in the Lower House of the Indian Parliament.
Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...
became the prime minister. In the accompanying state Legislative Assembly elections the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won a majority of the seats in
Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
and the BJP won the majority in
Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi Ri ...
. Even though the parties campaigned against each other, they formed a coalition government, with
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed A Mufti (; ar, مفتي) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion (''fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatwas'' played an important role ...
as chief minister. Following Sayeed's death in 2016, his daughter
Mehbooba Mufti Mehbooba may refer to *Mehbooba (1976 film), ''Mehbooba'' (1976 film), a Hindi-language film *Mehbooba (2008 film), ''Mehbooba'' (2008 film), a Hindi-language romance film *Mehbooba (2018 film), ''Mehbooba'' (2018 film), a Telugu-language film *Mehb ...
took over as chief minister, becoming the first female chief minister of the state.Happymon Jacob
Living in denial on Kashmir
''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'', 14 July 2016.
Shujaat Bukhari
Why the death of militant Burhan Wani has Kashmiris up in arms
BBC News, 11 July 2016.
In late 2015 and early 2016, observers of Kashmir reported growth in Islamic militancy and increased radicalization of the Kashmiri Muslim population. Reasons for the growth included the absence of political dialogue, lack of economic opportunities, high unemployment, excessive militarization and repeated human rights violations by the security forces. Harinder Baweja
Kashmir's Disturbing New Reality
''Hindustan Times'', 23 November 2015.
Haris Zargar
Why violence in Kashmir is getting worse
''The Diplomat'', 27 April 2016.
According to Haris Zargar, the increasing radicalization was a reaction to Indian nationalist identity. The rise of
Hindu nationalism Hindu nationalism has been collectively referred to as the expression of social and political thought, based on the native spiritual and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. "Hindu nationalism" or the correct term ''Hindū rāṣṭ ...
affected how Kashmiri Muslims viewed the Indian state and reshaped their identity. The polarization in India and the violence targeting Muslims were widely discussed in Kashmiri homes.Sudha Ramachandran
Kashmir's reemerging militancy
''The Diplomat'', 13 May 2016.
Wani's militant Islamic wing,
Hizbul Mujahideen Hizbul Mujahideen, also spelled Hizb-ul-Mujahideen ( ar, حزب المجاھدین, ), is an Islamism, Islamist militant organization operating in the Kashmir region. Its goal is to separate Kashmir Valley, Kashmir from India and merge it with ...
, was dubbed "new-age militancy". It was designated a terrorist organization. It recruited youth, the educated and middle-class, who were conversant with social media and not afraid to reveal their identities. They achieved popularity among the Kashmiris. When Waseem Malla and Naseer Ahmad Pandit, two of Burhan's associates were killed by security forces, tens of thousands attended the funeral; funeral rites had to be repeated six times to allow all to participate. Youths who recently became militants campaigned for PDP during the general elections in 2014.


Death of Burhan Wani

On 8 July 2016, Burhan Wani was killed in a planned operation by the
Jammu and Kashmir Police The Jammu and Kashmir Police or JKP is the law enforcement agency of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory). JKP was established in 1873 and has primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within Jammu and Kashmir in India. Hist ...
and the
Rashtriya Rifles The Rashtriya Rifles (RR; ) is a counter-insurgency force in India, formed in 1990, to specifically serve in the Jammu and Kashmir region. They also maintain public order by drawing powers from the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Po ...
. Following a tip-off that Wani was planning to come down from the Tral forest for Eid celebrations, he and two associates were cornered in the
Kokernag Kokernag is a sub-district town and a notified area committee in Breng Valley (The Golden Crown of Kashmir), Anantnag district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The place is known for the botanical gardens, pristine freshw ...
area. According to police officials, after an exchange of fire, the house in which the militants were staying was bombed, killing all three militants.Burhan Wani, Hizbul poster boy, killed in encounter
The Hindu, 8 July 2016.
The worry: What Burhan Wani's death could give life to
''The Indian Express'', 9 July 2016.
Some eyewitnesses stated that the three were shot while trying to escape. According to a police official, the security establishment was conflicted about killing Wani owing to his popularity, but the misgivings were not heeded. Wani left home to become a militant at age 15 after an incident with the police that humiliated him. Kashmiri youth angered by the "never-ending militarization" of the Valley were drawn to him. His constant presence on social media made him a household name. Journalist
Fahad Shah Fahad Shah is a Kashmiri journalist from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. He is the founder and editor of the news magazine ''The Kashmir Walla''. He was a recipient of a Human Rights Press Award in 2021. Shah was arrested on 4 February 2022 by Jam ...
stated that, with Wani's killing, the situation in Kashmir entered a period of "amplified instability". At Wani's funeral, an estimated 200,000 people came to mourn him. Forty funeral prayers were offered as well as a 21-gun salute by militants. His death launched demonstrations, and many incidents of stone-pelting were reported.
Fahad Shah Fahad Shah is a Kashmiri journalist from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. He is the founder and editor of the news magazine ''The Kashmir Walla''. He was a recipient of a Human Rights Press Award in 2021. Shah was arrested on 4 February 2022 by Jam ...

Burhan Wani's killing brings Kashmir to a crossroads
''The Diplomat'', 14 July 2016.
Baba Umar
Kashmir on fire
''The Diplomat'', 13 July 2016.


Timeline of unrest


2016


July

After the news of Wani's death spread, protests erupted in some areas of Kashmir Valley. Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in South Kashmir during the night, and internet services in many areas were suspended. Hurriyat chairman
Syed Ali Shah Geelani Syed Ali Shah Geelani (1929–2021) was an Islamist, pro-Pakistan, Sumantra BoseSyed Ali Shah Geelani: The man who fought for Kashmir’s freedom BBC News, 2 September 2021. "First, he made it clear that although a proud Kashmiri, he consider ...
and
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) is a militant separatist organization active in both the Indian-administered and Pakistani-administered territories of Kashmir. It was founded by Amanullah Khan, with Maqbool Bhat also credited as a co- ...
chairman
Yasin Malik Yasin Malik (born 3 April 1966) is a Kashmiri separatist leader and former militant who advocates the separation of Kashmir from both India and Pakistan. He is the Chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, which originally spearheaded arm ...
called for a strike to protest against the killing. Geelani, along with other separatist leaders including
Asiya Andrabi Asiya Andrabi is a Kashmiri separatist and founding leader of Dukhtaran-e-Millat . This group is part of the separatist organisation All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir valley. Government of India has declared it as a "banned organiz ...
and
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Mirwaiz Mohammad Umar Farooq (born 23 March 1973) is the Mirwaiz of Kashmir. He is an Islamist, Separatist Political Leader of Kashmir. He is the Islamic Religious Cleric of Kashmir Valley. In October 2014, Farooq has listed as one of The ...
, called for a three-day shutdown. The shutdown extended into August. Violent clashes broke out on 9 July in some areas. Over 20 police stations were attacked by mobs who stole weapons and fired upon security forces. Stone pelting was reported from many parts of Kashmir, including transit camps of
Kashmiri Pandit The Kashmiri Pandits (also known as Kashmiri Brahmins) are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha Gauda Brahmin group from the Kashmir Valley, a mountainous region ...
s. Train services and the pilgrimage to Amarnath Temple were suspended.
State board State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * '' State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our ...
exams were postponed, while the
Srinagar Jammu National Highway Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...
was shut. By the end of the day, over 200 people were injured and 11 protesters were killed. By 10 July, more than 20 were confirmed to have died. More than 300 CRPF personnel were reported to have been injured. In addition, many vehicles and buildings belonging to security forces were attacked and a number were set ablaze. Some militants hiding among protesters threw grenades at security personnel. Two policemen died. One died on 9 July when a mob attacked and pushed his mobile bunker into
Jhelum Jhelum ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city on the east bank of the Jhelum River, which is located in the district of Jhelum in the north of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population. Jhelum is known for p ...
river. Another died on 24 July, from injuries received in an attack on a police station by stone-pelters on 15 July. On the night of 12 July, about 200–300 Kashmiri Pandit employees fled the transit camps in Kashmir due to the constant attacks. Over 1300 government employees belonging to the community fled the region. 800 personnel of the
Central Reserve Police Force The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is a federal police organisation in India under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India. It is one among the Central Armed Police Forces. The CRPF's primary role li ...
(CRPF) meanwhile were sent to Kashmir, adding to the 1,200 sent on 9 July. On 15 July, curfew was imposed across Kashmir and mobile phone networks were suspended. On the same day, separatists extended the shutdown until 18 July. Re-opening of schools and colleges in Kashmir was postponed. The government announced that it was sending 2,000 additional CRPF personnel to Kashmir. The law-and-order situation had started to improve by 24 July. Curfew was lifted from four districts and parts of
Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...
city, while
Section 144 Unlawful assembly is a legal term to describe a group of people with the mutual intent of deliberate disturbance of the peace. If the group is about to start an act of disturbance, it is termed a rout; if the disturbance is commenced, it is then ter ...
of
Code of Criminal Procedure Criminal procedure is the adjudication process of the criminal law. While criminal procedure differs dramatically by jurisdiction, the process generally begins with a formal criminal charge with the person on trial either being free on bail or i ...
remained in force. By 26 July, it was lifted everywhere except
Anantnag Anantnag (/ə'nʌntna:g/ or /-nɑːg/ ), also called Islamabad, is the administrative headquarters of the Anantnag district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is located at a distance of ...
. Protests erupted in many areas after the lifting of the curfew. It was reimposed a day later in Kulgam district, Anantnag and some parts of Srinagar in view of the march called by separatists. It was later reimposed in
Pulwama district The Pulwama district is located to the south of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir. Its district headquarters are situated in the city of Pulwama. It is located in the central part of the Kashmir Valley. Administration In 1979 Anantnag d ...
and
Shopian district Shopian district (), known as Shupyan () in Kashmiri, is a hill district with its administrative division in Shopian town, located in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, since it is situated on the historical road commonly known ...
as well. On 29 July, violent clashes broke out in several places. Over 130 people were reported injured. 70 incidents of stone-pelting were reported, including attacks on army camps. During the protests, a government building in Rafiabad and an
animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
office in Shopian were set on fire, and a grenade lobbed in Shopian. On 30 July, the motorcade of state Education Minister Naeem Akhtar, who was traveling with MLC Yashir Reshi, was pelted with stones by crowds who were later dispersed at Dangerpora and Shilwat.


August

On 1 August, protesters in Srinagar attacked state Education Minister Naeem Akhtar's residence with petrol bombs. Akhtar and his family were not present at the time. The cavalcade of Law and Rural Development Minister Abdul Haq was attacked with stones by protesters in Tangdhar area managed to escape the attack unhurt. A mob attacked the vehicle of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Ramban with stones and set it ablaze on the national highway near Lethpora. Two protesters were killed in defence by a Personal Security Officer of the ADC who was rescued by the CRPF. The shutdown was repeatedly extended by separatists into September. The unrest spread to the Chenab valley region of
Jammu Division The Jammu division (; ) is a revenue and administrative division within Jammu and Kashmir, a union territory of India. It consists of the districts of Jammu, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Samba. Most o ...
in August with shutdowns being observed in many towns. Protests against civilian casualties were held in Doda with people shouting pro-freedom slogans. On 5 August curfew was imposed in several places in view of the march called by separatists. Three people were killed and 674 injured during violent clashes that erupted after Friday prayers. The separatists asked Kashmiris to observe a "black day" on
15 August Events Pre-1600 * 636 – Arab–Byzantine wars: The Battle of Yarmouk between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate begins. * 717 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik begins the Second Arab Siege of Const ...
on 11 August. Curfew was extended in several parts of Kashmir the next day in view of the separatists' call for marching to the Eidgah on 13 and 14 August. The next day after Friday prayers, violent protests erupted in several cities, leaving hundreds of people injured. Protests followed Friday prayers in Doda against the civilian deaths in Kashmir. Many were injured in the clashes, with police and protesters blaming each other. The Seerat committee called for a three-day shutdown. Most parts of Kashmir were placed under curfew on 13 August. On Pakistan's Independence Day,
flags of Pakistan This is a list of flags used in Pakistan. National Flag Government Flags Civil Ensign Civil Air Ensign Provincial and territorial flags Military Naval rank flags Historical flags Pre-colonial states British India Former ...
were hoisted across Kashmir and pro-Pakistan rallies were carried out, with dozens of people reported injured when security personnel tried to disperse them. Separatist leader
Asiya Andrabi Asiya Andrabi is a Kashmiri separatist and founding leader of Dukhtaran-e-Millat . This group is part of the separatist organisation All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir valley. Government of India has declared it as a "banned organiz ...
was injured along with many other protesters while leading a women-only rally in
Tral Tral is a town, sub-district and a notified area committee in the Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir. The town is situated at a distance of from summer capital, Srinagar and from district headquarters, Pulwama. Tral is the secon ...
when security personnel used teargas. On 16 August, five protesters were shot and killed by security personnel. On 17 August, a march called by the separatists to the office of
UNMOGIP The United Nations has played an advisory role in maintaining peace and order in the Kashmir region soon after the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, when a dispute erupted between the two States on the question of Jammu and Kashmir. Indi ...
, in Srinagar, was stopped by security forces. On the same day, the house of the MLA of
Shopian Shopian or Shupiyan (), known as Shupyan () in Kashmiri, is an administrative division of the Shopian district, located in southern part of Kashmir Valley, of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Shopian is called the ''Apple town of Kashmir'' as majorit ...
, Mohammed Yousuf Bhat, was attacked by a mob. On 21 August, a youth was killed after he was hit by a teargas shell in Srinagar while 70 others were injured in protests across the region, including about 60 people in a village of Rafiabad Tehsil. Pro-freedom rallies were held at Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama, with 40,000 people attending a rally in a Shopian village addressed by separatists including Geelani. The
Border Security Force The Border Security Force (BSF) is India's border guarding organisation on its border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was raised in the wake of the 1965 war on 1 December 1 ...
(BSF) was removed from counter-insurgency operations and deployed to maintain law and order in Srinagar for the first time in 12 years on 22 August. On 23 August, two
special police Special police usually describes a police, police force or unit within a police force whose duties and responsibilities are significantly different from other forces in the same country or from other police in the same force, although there is no ...
officers in
Sopore Sopore, known as Suyyapur in antiquity, is a city in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is north-west of Srinagar, and north-east from the city of Baramulla. Sopore Town has Asia's second largest fruit mandi (wholesale m ...
resigned after their houses were attacked by mobs. On 24 August, a youth died after receiving injuries in a clash with security forces while 9 policemen were reportedly injured when a grenade was lobbed at them in Pulwama. Curfew was lifted from all parts of Kashmir on 31 August. One person was killed while over 100 were injured in clashes during the day. A police quarters and house of
Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...
of PDP, Nazir Ahmad Laway were set on fire by protesters in Hanad Chawalgam of Kulgam district.


September

Curfew was reimposed in most places on 2 September including Srinagar, Badgam, Ganderbal, Bandipora and Handwara. The next day, curfew was lifted from most places, with only some areas of Srinagar remaining under curfew. Meanwhile, a youth was killed in clashes in
Qazigund Qazigund, also known as Gateway Of Kashmir, is a town and in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Qazigund is located at . It has an average elevation of 1670 m (5478 feet) above mean sea level. Qazigund Bypass Passes Th ...
. Over 600 people were reported to have been injured on 4 September. The office of Deputy Commissioner in Shopian was torched. On 5 September, a youth who had been wounded a day earlier, died from his injuries in Sopore. Over 120 people were injured. In Zangalpora village of Kulgam, protesters set a policeman's house on fire. On 15 September, the shutdown was extended until 22 September. On 16 September, a protester died who had been injured on 9 September. Over 50 people were injured including 15 in Dooru village and 20 in Sopore. On 7 September, over 250 protesters were injured. A
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) is a system of central schools for talented students predominantly from rural areas in India. They are run by Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Noida, an autonomous organization under the Department of School Educati ...
school in Kulgam caught fire after teargas shells landed inside the school compound. Meanwhile, a rest house in Chawalgam village of Kulgam was set on fire after protesters hurled petrol bombs at it. Curfew and restrictions on assembly of people were lifted. They were reimposed in most parts of Srinagar on 9 September, but were lifted again the next day. Two protesters were killed on 10 September. Curfew was reimposed on 13 September across the entire region in view of the call for a march to the UN offices in Kashmir, while helicopters and drones were deployed. This was the first time in 26 years that curfew had been imposed in the region during
Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's co ...
. Eid congregations were barred at the Eidgah and Hazratbal Shrine. Two protesters were killed. On 17 September, the body of an 11-year-old boy, who went missing in protests on the previous day in Harwan, was found near a stream at
Dachigam National Park Dachigam National Park is a national park located, from Srinagar city in Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir, India on the east side of Dal Lake. It covers an area of 161, 62.16(updated recently) by hgtian student SIJ. The name of the park ...
. He had been hit by pellets. Protests erupted in Harwan and other areas after the news of his death. Several people were injured. On 19 September, curfew was lifted from all areas except some parts of Srinagar. A 19-year-old girl died of cardiac arrest in Shopian district while a school in Vehil village of the district was burnt under unknown circumstances. The police blamed the protesters for setting the fire, however locals denied the accusation. Another school in Anantnag district was also burnt. Curfew was lifted from all parts of Kashmir on 25 September, as the separatists declared a temporary relaxation in the shutdown. Curfew was reimposed in
Kishtwar Kishtwar is a town, municipality and administrative headquarter of the Kishtwar District in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The district was carved out of the Doda district in 2007. It is located in the Jammu division. T ...
after clashes erupted due to the arrest of three youths. It was lifted two days later, with night curfew remaining in place. Operation Calm Down was launched by the Indian army to restore normalcy and connectivity to regions that had been most affected, especially in South Kashmir. The additional 4000 troops were ordered to use minimal force. Tasks involved ensuring schools opened and were secure.


November

On 16 November, separatists announced a full-day relaxation for two days on 19 and 20 November. This was the first such relaxation since the beginning of the unrest.


December

The separatists increased a full-day relaxation to five days on 14 December, calling for shutdown on two days. They also stated on 16 December that they would announce an annual protest program.


2017


February

The separatists called off their strikes in mid-February, including the one scheduled for 24 February as it coincided with the
Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri ( IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar Hindu c ...
festival celebrated by the Hindu community.


Casualties

More than 100 people including 5 security personnel died. Over 19,000 people including more than 15,000 civilians as well as 4,000 security personnel were injured. According to local doctors, at least 117 civilians were likely to lose their eyesight as a result of injuries caused by
buckshot A shotgun shell, shotshell or simply shell is a type of rimmed, cylindrical (straight-walled) cartridges used specifically in shotguns, and is typically loaded with numerous small, pellet-like spherical sub-projectiles called shot, fired throu ...
blasts. Three policemen went missing on 9 July and one was killed on 10 July during protests in Anantnag district when a mob pushed his vehicle into the
Jhelum Jhelum ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city on the east bank of the Jhelum River, which is located in the district of Jhelum in the north of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population. Jhelum is known for p ...
river. Another policeman died on 24 July, succumbing to injuries received on 15 July during an attack on a police station in Kulgam. Two of the missing policemen were later traced by the state police and were found to have become incommunicado after mobile services were cut. Security forces were not able to find the third policeman, or a large cache of arms that went missing after a police station in south Kashmir was immolated. On 18 September 2016, 18 Indian Army soldiers were killed during an attack by militants in Uri. The target was a Brigade headquarters.


Use of pellet guns

Indian security forces trying to control the
Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
i agitators used
pellet gun A pellet is a non-spherical projectile designed to be shot from an air gun, and an airgun that shoots such pellets is commonly known as a pellet gun. Air gun pellets differ from bullets and shot used in firearms in terms of the pressures encounter ...
s, which, although billed as "non-lethal", led to many casualties including permanent eye injuries. 10 civilians were killed by pellet gunfire. The medical emergency in Kashmir led to a shortage of eye specialists who could treat the injured. In Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital of
Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...
, over 200 patients were admitted by 13 July with the same problem. A five-year-old, Zohra Zahoor, had pellet wounds in her legs, forehead and abdomen.
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
strongly condemned the use of pellet guns on protesters and called it a failure by the authorities to respect basic human rights. According to a
Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel and organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. John Ryley is the hea ...
report, the Indian paramilitary fired up to 3,800 cartridges between July and August, each containing 450 metal balls, up to 1.7 million pellets. A team of three eye-specialists from the
All India Institute of Medical Sciences The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a group of autonomous government public medical universities of higher education under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , Government of India. These institutes ha ...
in New Delhi, headed by ophthalmologist Prof Sudarshan K. Kumar, reached
Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
to help the local doctors treat the pellet gun injuries. By 22 July, the
SMHS Hospital Shri Hari Singh, Maharaja Hari Singh, commonly known as SMHS Hospital or Hedwun Hospital, is the multi-speciality state-owned hospital in Karan Nagar area of Srinagar. History C.M.Hadow was an Austrian merchant and philanthropist. He came to ...
had received at least 182 patients with eye injuries, mostly due to pellets. More than 137 eye surgeries took place. Another team of three eye-specialists, led by
ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...
Sundaram Natarajan of Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital, Mumbai, organized by
Adhik Kadam Adhik Kadam is an Indian social entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is on a peacebuilding and peacekeeping mission, working in the conflict zones of Jammu and Kashmir.Kadam has completed a master's degree in political science. He is a co-fou ...
of Borderless World Foundation arrived in the region on 26 July to treat eye injuries and performed over 40 retinal surgeries in 3 days. By 28 August 570 people had been treated in the SMHS hospital and 425 eye surgeries were performed. About 3,000 civilians were injured.


Events


Media blackout

On 9 July, mobile internet services were suspended in Kashmir and Jammu to reduce rumor-mongering. On 16 July, the Jammu and Kashmir government imposed a press emergency. The police raided newspaper installations and seized copies of newspapers and printing plates. They said that, in view of the curfew, movement of newspaper staff and the distribution of newspapers would not be possible "for a few days". Landline and mobile telephone services were blocked, except for the lines of a government-owned company, BSNL. Internet services remained suspended. Cable television was also shut off, ostensibly to stop the broadcast of Pakistani channels.Mehbooba govt. gags media, blocks cable TV
''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'', 16 July 2016.
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

India Stops Kashmir Newspapers From Printing Amid Unrest
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' — Asia Pacific, 17 July 2016.
Kashmir violence: Indian authorities seize newspapers and shut down cable TV after killing of separatist leader
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
, 16 July 2016.
On 19 July, Chief Minister
Mehbooba Mufti Mehbooba may refer to *Mehbooba (1976 film), ''Mehbooba'' (1976 film), a Hindi-language film *Mehbooba (2008 film), ''Mehbooba'' (2008 film), a Hindi-language romance film *Mehbooba (2018 film), ''Mehbooba'' (2018 film), a Telugu-language film *Mehb ...
denied the ban on newspapers. Her adviser
Amitabh Mattoo Amitabh Mattoo (born 26 June 1962, Srinagar) is one of India's leading thinkers and writers on Modern and Contemporary History, Political science, International relations. He was awarded Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009. He is a pr ...
hinted that the decision was taken at the "local level". Mattoo also declared that newspapers would be able to print from 19 July. However, the newspapers refused to publish, alleging uncertainties about the restrictions. One editor asked the government to "own the ban" and issue a statement guaranteeing that the media would not be hampered.Kashmir newspapers refuse to resume publication, want govt to own up to 'ban'
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia. It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
, 20 July 2016.
The chief minister held a meeting with Srinagar-based newspaper editors, expressing regret for the restrictions and assuring them that their work would not be hampered. Following this, the newspapers resumed deliveries on Thursday. The
senior superintendent of police Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territories ...
of
Budgam district Budgam district is a district in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Created in 1979 with its headquarters at Budgam, it is the district with the largest population of Shias in the Kashmir valley. Administration Bud ...
Fayaz Ahamad Lone was held responsible for raiding the press and transferred. Mobile internet was restored in Jammu on 26 July. Mobile telephone services were restored on 27 July for most
postpaid The postpaid mobile phone is a mobile phone for which service is provided by a prior arrangement with a mobile network operator. The user in this situation is billed after the fact according to their use of mobile services at the end of each mont ...
and some prepaid numbers in Kashmir. Mobile internet was suspended again in Jammu on 5 August in view of the growing unrest in Chenab valley however they were restored later the same day. Mobile telephone services in Kashmir were suspended again on 11 August. In addition, broadband services were suspended in Kashmir on 13 August, stopping Internet service. Broadband internet was restored on 18 August. Mobile services were again partially restored in Kashmir on 20 August. On 12 September, the state government again ordered the suspension of internet and mobile phone services in Kashmir excluding postpaid connections of BSNL for a period of 72 hours. In April 2017, state authorities banned 22 social media sites for a one-month period in an effort to calm tensions in the disputed region after videos depicting the alleged abuse of Kashmiris by Indian forces emerged.


Newspaper ban

Kashmir Reader Kashmir Reader is an English-language daily newspaper published from Srinagar, and is owned by the Helpline Group. It was launched in May 2012 with the motto of "Nothing But News". ''Kashmir Reader'' has published articles by well-known Kashmi ...
, a prominent English newspaper which is published in
Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...
, was indefinitely banned by the state authorities on 30 September. It was asked to stop publication on the evening of Sunday, 2 October. The daily was accused of publishing material that "tends to incite acts of violence" and "disturb public peace and tranquility". Human rights group
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
said the ban was a "setback to free speech" and called on authorities to revoke the order. On 28 December, the newspaper resumed publication after the government lifted the nearly three-month ban.


Arrest of Khurram Parvez

Khurram Parvez Khurram Parvez is a Kashmiri human rights activist. He is the Chairperson of Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and Program Coordinator of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS). Khurram is a recipient of the ...
, a prominent Kashmiri
human rights activist A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing campai ...
, was first stopped by Indian authorities at
New Delhi airport Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport serving Delhi, the capital of India, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The airport, spread over an area of , is situated in Palam, Delhi, southwest of the New De ...
on 14 September to prevent him from attending the
UN Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...
session in Geneva. Parvez was arrested on 15 September by Indian officials from his home in
Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...
. On 21 September, a day after a sessions court ordered his release, Khurram Parvez was detained a second time under Public Safety Act (PSA). After 76 days of detention, on 30 November he was again released, following the orders of
Jammu and Kashmir High Court The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is the common high court for union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. It was established as the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir on 26 March 1928 by the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. The s ...
.


Action against security personnel

Fayaz Ahamad Lone, the senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Budgam district who had ordered the police forces to raid press offices and stop the newspapers, was transferred to the State Disaster Response Fund as a commandant. Two officers were later transferred from South Kashmir: the
deputy inspector general of police A Deputy Inspector General of Police (abbreviated as DIG) is a high-ranking official position in Police in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka. India Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) is a rank i ...
in South Kashmir and the senior superintendent of police in Anantnag. The SSP in Srinagar was directed on 19 July by a local court to register a case against a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and other police personnel for allegedly murdering a youth after breaking into his house on 10 July. It also ordered that the case could not be investigated by anyone below the rank of DSP. Instead of registering a case against the DSP, the state police registered a case against the youth over various offenses and alleged that he was leading a procession on the day he was killed. The court rejected the argument and ordered the SSP to register a case against the DSP within a day. A non-bailable warrant was later issued against the SSP for not obeying the court order and registering a case within the allotted time-period. The SSP was produced in the court by the
Deputy Inspector General of Police A Deputy Inspector General of Police (abbreviated as DIG) is a high-ranking official position in Police in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka. India Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) is a rank i ...
of Central Kashmir and was granted bail. He was ordered to file his statement and register the case against the DSP. A petition against the filing of the report was dismissed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. The Court directed the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Srinagar to initiate contempt proceedings against the SSP if the report was not registered. The Supreme Court stayed the contempt proceedings as well as the
Inspector General of Police An Inspector General of Police is a senior police officer in the police force or police service of several nations. The rank usually refers to the head of a large regional command within a police service, and in many countries refers to the most se ...
in Kashmir on 9 August. The court directed the state government on 12 August to
exhume Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
the body and conduct an
autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...
. The autopsy report was submitted to the Supreme Court on 26 September 2016, with the report concluding that he had died due to pellet injuries. A CRPF
sub-inspector Sub-inspector (SI), or sub-inspector of police, is a rank used extensively in South Asia: in the police forces of Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, which is primarily based on the British model. It was formerly used in most British col ...
who shot an ambulance driver on 18 August was suspended the following day. On 18 August, a probe was ordered into the death of a person who was killed after an Indian Army raid in a Khrew village. D.S. Hooda admitted the next day that the person was beaten to death by soldiers and stated that the raid on the village was unsanctioned.


Internet censorship

On 26 April 2017, the state government directed various Internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to 22 social networking websites, saying it was needed to prevent spreading of rumors and to maintain law and order in the state, under the
Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 is the enabling legislation in India which governs the use of wired and wireless telegraphy, telephones, teletype, radio communications and digital data communications. It gives the Government of India exclusive jur ...
. The youth used
virtual private network A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. The be ...
s (VPNs), Internet proxies and other tools to circumvent the block.


Reactions


India


Government and politicians

On 9 July,
Home Minister The Minister of Home Affairs (or simply, the Home Minister, short-form HM) is the head of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India. One of the senior-most officers in the Union Cabinet, the chief responsibility of the Home Minist ...
Rajnath Singh Rajnath Singh (; born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician serving as the Defence Minister of India. He is currently the Deputy Leader of the House Lok Sabha. He is the former President of Bharatiya Janata Party. He has previously served as t ...
appealed for peace and calm in Kashmir. On 10 July, the state government appealed to all the political parties including the separatists for help in restoring normalcy. Separatist leader Geelani agreed and asked Kashmiris to remain "disciplined" while Farooq ridiculed the appeal.
Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir was the title given to the head of government of Jammu and Kashmir. As per the Constitution of India, the Lieutenant Governor is the state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests wi ...
Mehbooba Mufti Mehbooba may refer to *Mehbooba (1976 film), ''Mehbooba'' (1976 film), a Hindi-language film *Mehbooba (2008 film), ''Mehbooba'' (2008 film), a Hindi-language romance film *Mehbooba (2018 film), ''Mehbooba'' (2018 film), a Telugu-language film *Mehb ...
appealed for calm on 12 July. Prime Minister Modi expressed concern over the unrest and appealed for calm while promising help to the state government.
Congress party The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
chairperson
Sonia Gandhi Sonia Gandhi ('' née'' Maino; born 9 December 1946) is an Indian politician. She is the longest serving president of the Indian National Congress, a social democratic political party, which has governed India for most of its post-independ ...
expressed deep anguish at the loss of innocent lives. She pointed out advances made over the prior two decades and appealed to Kashmiris to let political parties find durable ways of fulfilling people's aspirations. Congress also dispatched a fact-finding team of senior leaders
Ambika Soni Ambika Soni (born 13 November 1942) is an Indian politician belonging to Indian National Congress. She had served as Minister of Information and Broadcasting. She was a Member of Parliament representing the state of Punjab in the Rajya Sabha. E ...
and
Salman Khurshid Salman Khurshid Alam Khan (born 1 January 1953) is an Indian politician, designated senior advocate, eminent author and a law teacher. He was the Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of External Affairs. He belongs to the Indian National Congress. ...
. They criticised the government for discontinuing development policies and for excessive force in dealing with protesters. The party demanded an all-party meet to discuss the Kashmir situation.Violence due to divergent ideology: Congress
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
, 18 July 2016.
The party later criticized Mufti for not knowing about Burhan's presence during the encounter and blamed the unrest in on her. It also criticised the Union government for continuing talks with Pakistan during the unrest. Women's activist and
CPM CPM may refer to: Advertising *Cost per mille, the advertising cost per thousand views *Cost per impression, Cost per thousand impressions, the online advertising equivalent Management *Certified practising marketer, a qualification for Australi ...
party leader
Kavita Krishnan Kavita Krishnan is a women's rights activist who has publicised the problem of violence against women following the 2012 Delhi gang rape of Nirbhaya. Krishnan was also a politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Lib ...
termed Burhan Wani's death an "
extrajudicial killing An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
". She noted the
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
decree that required every single encounter to be followed by a
FIR Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family (biology), family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North America, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The ...
and a magisterial enquiry. On 17 July,
Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In o ...
for
External Affairs A state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterally or through mu ...
Vijay Kumar Singh General Vijay Kumar Singh, (born 10 May 1950) is an Indian politician and a former four-star General in the Indian Army. He is the current Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Ministry of Civil Aviation in th ...
urged people of Kashmir to cooperate with the government and stated that they had been misguided by unwanted elements. On 19 July, Home Minister Singh blamed Pakistan for the violence, stating, "Whatever is happening in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored. The name is 'Pakistan', but its acts are ''na-pak'' (impure)." An all-party meeting was held on 21 July with the aim of building a consensus on measures to restore normalcy. The
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) is a regional political party in the Indian union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Founded as the ''All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference'' by Sheikh Abdullah and Chaudhry Ghulam A ...
boycotted the meeting, blaming the government for the situation. A two-day visit by Singh beginning on 23 July was announced, in which Singh visited Kashmir to try to calm down the situation. After arrival he met with local entrepreneurs,
houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Most houseboats are not motorized as they are usually moored or kept stationary at a fixed point, and often tethered to land to provide utilities. How ...
owners, Muslim clerics, members of the
Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
community, members of the
Kashmiri Pandit The Kashmiri Pandits (also known as Kashmiri Brahmins) are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha Gauda Brahmin group from the Kashmir Valley, a mountainous region ...
community, and civilians. The meeting was boycotted by several trade groups, ostensibly due to the killings and lack of results from past meetings. Later in the day, he met
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Narinder Nath Vohra Narinder Nath Vohra (born 5May1936), popularly referred as N. N. Vohra, is a retired 1959batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Punjab cadre who was the 12thgovernor of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. He was the first civi ...
and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. On the second day he met political leaders and members of civil society - the
Congress party The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
boycotted the meeting. The
Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...
on 29 July sought a report from the Union Government while promising all possible help to Kashmiri civilians. An all-party conference was announced on 10 August along with a visit by an all-party delegation to hold talks with various sections. During the New Delhi meeting on 12 August, various suggestions were made. Former Home Minister
P. Chidambaram Palaniappan Chidambaram (born 16 September 1945), better known as P. Chidambaram, is an Indian politician and lawyer who currently serves as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. He served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee ...
on 17 August blamed the state and union government for the unrest. A meeting of all opposition political parties in Jammu and Kashmir was held on the same day with resolutions demanding an enquiry by a retired Supreme Court Judge over allegations of use of excessive force, special assembly session on the unrest and the start of a political dialogue with Pakistan about the Kashmir dispute were passed. During the meeting, the participants decided that a delegation of opposition political parties would meet
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Pranab Mukherjee Dr. Pranab Mukherjee (11 December 193531 August 2020) was an Indian politician and statesman who served as the 13th president of India from 2012 until 2017. In a political career spanning five decades, Mukherjee was a senior leader in the India ...
over the unrest. On 19 August 2016, former Chief Minister of Kashmir,
Farooq Abdullah Farooq Abdullah (born 21 October 1937) is an Indian politician who was Ex. President of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference. He has served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on several occasions since 1982, and as the union minister fo ...
stated that Indian forces were "unleashing a reign of terror in Kashmir" that would damage India's global reputation. On the same day, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India's Northern Command reached out to separatist leaders, stating that their help was required to restore normalcy in the region. In addition, a delegation consisting of opposition parties met the President and requested him initiate a political dialogue with all stakeholders and to acknowledge it as a political issue. They requested that the President end the use of lethal force against civilians. They claimed that instead of the government, the opposition parties were taking steps to restore calm. The delegation met the Prime Minister on 22 August, submitting a memorandum in which it demanded that the central government ban the use of pellet guns and start a political dialogue with all stakeholders to end the unrest. During the meeting, Modi asked all political parties work together to find a "permanent and lasting" solution.
Janata Dal (United) Janata Dal (United) ("People’s Party (United)”) abbreviated as JD(U) is an Indian political party with political presence mainly in eastern and north-eastern India. JD(U) is recognised as a state party in the states of Bihar , Arunachal Pra ...
on 21 August advised that the Prime Minister or Home Minister lead an all-party delegation to the region. Arun Jaitley on 21 August labeled stone-throwers as attackers, while blaming Pakistan for the unrest and rejected any compromise with people indulging in violence. The Home Minister visited Kashmir on 24 August. On the first day, he reviewed the security situation in a meeting attended by top Army, police and state officials. He met with delegations of several political parties, most of which demanded resumption of talks initiation talks with separatists. There was also a near unanimous consensus supporting a ban on pellet guns. The meeting was boycotted by many trade bodies of the state. Singh also met with state Governor N. N. Vohra who briefed him about the internal security situation and steps needed to restore normalcy. The next day, the state's Chief Minister held a press meet along with Singh that she stormed out of after getting upset over allegations of her government's disproportionate use of force. Singh promised to look into alternatives to pellet guns and also stated that he is willing to talk with separatists. Meeting with Modi over the unrest on 27 August, Mufti called for creating interlocutors to hold talks with all stakeholders and blamed Pakistan for fuelling the unrest. The next day, Modi said that unity and compassion were the "twin mantras" for solving the Kashmir issue and criticized those inciting youth to violence saying they will have to answer to them someday. He deplored the loss of life, saying that the loss of anyone's life was a loss for the whole country and they should do whatever it takes to restore peace in the region. On the same day, Mufti said that talks should be held with anyone willing to reject violence and restore peace. Mufti also stated the format of dialogue needs to improve. She criticized people instigating the youth to violence. An all-party delegation agreed to visit Kashmir on 4 September. The delegation was to be led by R. Singh. During a press conference with
US Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The s ...
Ash Carter Ashton Baldwin Carter (September 24, 1954 – October 24, 2022) was an American government official and academic who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Defense from February 2015 to January 2017. He later served as director of the Be ...
on 30 August, Indian Defense Minister
Manohar Parrikar Manohar Parrikar (born Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar; 13 December 1955 – 17 March 2019) was an Indian politician and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party who served as Chief Minister of Goa from 14 March 2017 until his death. Previous ...
stated that a small percentage of demonstrators were holding the majority "at ransom". The delegation that arrived on 4 September met various representatives. The separatists refused to meet, despite Mufti's invitation. A National Conference delegation stated that the unrest in Kashmir was due to Kashmiris' sense of alienation arising from the Union government's unjust behavior in the name of the national interest. Some members of the delegation tried to meet separatist leaders, but only Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was willing to talk, briefly, with
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen ( en, All India Council for Unity of Muslims) ( AIMIM) is an Indian political party based primarily in the city of Hyderabad. It is also a significant political party in the Indian States of Telangana ...
leader
Asaduddin Owaisi Asaduddin Owaisi (born 13 May 1969) is an Indian politician, who is the President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). He is a 4 time Member of Parliament (MP), representing the Hyderabad constituency in Lok Sabha, the lower ...
. According to Owaisi, Farooq told him that the separatists rejected talks because the government was not serious about political dialogue. R. Singh criticized the separatists for this refusal, saying they did not believe in ''
Kashmiriyat ''Kashmiriyat'' (also spelled as ''Kashmiriat'') is the centuries-old indigenous tradition of communal harmony and religious syncretism in the Kashmir Valley in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Emerging around ...
'', ''Insaniyat'' (humanity) and ''Jamhooriyat'' (democracy). The all-party delegation disbanded on 5 September, after meeting with over 30 delegations (300+ members) representing various sections of Kashmiri society. 21 Sufi clerics met Singh on 6 September and requested his permission to carry out an ''Aman Yatra'' in Kashmir and hold talks with the locals. The clerics stated that no dialogue should be held with separatists and that Pakistan was behind the unrest. On 7 September, the delegation that had visited Kashmir asked the Central government to hold talks, while rejecting compromise on national sovereignty. On 10 September, the National Conference expressed regrets over protesters' deaths. It accused the Chief Minister of the State as insensitive and ruthless. On 11 September, R. Singh directed the security forces to crack down on those who were instigating the youth in the region.


Reports

In March 2017, ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new onl ...
'', after an investigation, reported that the stone-pelters stated they were paid for protesting but did not disclose their identity. ''India Today'' interviewed five protesters who confessed on camera that they are paid Rs 5,000-Rs 7,000 a month and were provided with clothes and shoes. One claimed that separate funds were given for making petrol bombs.Stone pelters on hire in Kashmir: India Today nails Valley's insidious villains
India Today, 29 March 2017.
In April 2017, a report by Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB) stated that an uprising was planned by Pakistan before July 2016, and that Wani's encounter helped the Pakistan
Inter-Services Intelligence The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI; ur, , bayn khadamatiy mukhabarati) is the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan. It is responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing any information from around the world that is deemed relevant ...
(ISI) ignite rebellion. The report said that ISI supplied Rs 800 crore to Kashmiri separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Asiya Andrabi. The report stated that ISI's funds were used to pay off stone-pelters and petrol bomb throwers, and also to propagate anti-India and anti-security forces sentiments.


Others

An Indian Army veteran penned an open letter in mid-July, stating that Wani would have died even if he managed to escape as he was a terrorist and all those who conspired to take away Kashmir from India would be met with an iron hand. South Asia director of
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
, Meenakshi Ganguly, said that stone-pelting does not give the police a "free pass" to use force. She pointed out that the main grievance of the protestors was the authorities' failure to ensure human rights. Writer
Arundhati Roy Suzanna Arundhati Roy (born 24 November 1961) is an Indian author best known for her novel ''The God of Small Things'' (1997), which won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 and became the best-selling book by a non-expatriate Indian author. S ...
asked for an honest conversation about what kind of ''azadi'' (freedom) the Kashmiris are demanding.
Panun Kashmir Panun Kashmir ( en, Our Kashmir) is a proposed union territory of India in the Kashmir Valley, which is intended to be a homeland for Kashmiri Hindus. The demand arose after the Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus in 1990. The vision of the homeland ...
, an organisation for displaced
Kashmiri Pandits The Kashmiri Pandits (also known as Kashmiri Brahmins) are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha-Gauda, Pancha Gauda Brahmin group from the Kashmir Valley, a mountai ...
said on 22 July that the
union government The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
should recognise the "fundamentalist upsurge" and asked it to take immediate steps to prevent Kashmir from becoming an "Islamist-controlled territory". It also demanded that the government publish a report detailing attacks on Kashmiri Hindus. Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani on 16 July wrote to several international bodies and Heads of States, outlining six measures: offer self-determination, demilitarize the valley, repeal AFSPA and the Public Safety Act, release all political prisoners in Kashmir, restore their right to political activity, allow all international human rights and humanitarian organizations to work in the state and ensurw free political space to all parties. A
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
spat erupted in August 2016 over the unrest between Ruveda Salam, Kashmir's first woman
Indian Police Service The Indian Police Service ( IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became independent from the British Raj. Along with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS ...
officer, and Harmeet Singh Mehta, the SP of Sopore after the former criticized the PDP. In a video that went viral on 15 March, Hizbul Mujahideen commander
Zakir Rashid Bhat Zakir Rashid Bhat (also known as Zakir Musa) was an Sunni Pan-Islamist, Kashmiri-separatist militant who became the commander of Hizbul Mujahideen after the killing of Burhan Wani and Sabzar Bhat, who were the former commanders of the same out ...
asked the stone-pelters to attack the security forces for the supremacy of Islam, but not to fall for nationalism. In the video he stated that he observed that the protesters were mostly fighting for nationalism which Islam did not permit. He criticized the separatist leaders and threatened the local police as well as police informers.


Pakistan

On 11 July, Pakistan's
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Nawaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi language, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime ...
in a statement expressed "shock" over the killing of Burhan Wani and other civilians. He said that it was "deplorable that excessive and unlawful force was used against the civilians". The Indian government responded by saying that the Pakistan government's view on Wani's killing reflected its association with terrorism and advised it to refrain from interfering in India's internal affairs. On 13 July, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff
Raheel Sharif General Raheel Sharif (Urdu: ; born 16 June 1956), is a retired four-star army general of the Pakistan Army who served as the 9th Chief of Army Staff from 29 November 2013 to 29 November 2016. After his retirement as Pakistan's army chief, he ...
condemned the killings. Sharif declared Wani to be a martyr on 15 July and said that 19 July would be held as a "black day" to express solidarity with Kashmiri people. The
Indian Ministry of External Affairs The Ministry of External Affairs (abbreviated as MEA; hi, विदेश मंत्रालय, Videśa Mantrālaya, translit-std=ISO) of India is the government agency responsible for implementing Indian foreign policy. The Ministry of Ex ...
criticised Pakistan for glorifying individuals belonging to proscribed terrorist organisations. Observance of the "black day" was postponed by Pakistan's government to 20 July while 19 July was instead observed as "Kashmir's Accession Day" to Pakistan. A rally called Kashmir Caravan organised by Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and led by
Hafiz Saeed Hafiz Muhammad Saeed ( ur, , born 5 June 1950) is a Pakistani Islamism, Islamist who co-founded Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based Islamist militant organization that is List of designated terrorist groups, designated as a terrorist grou ...
was launched on 19 July at
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
in support of the Kashmiri people. Members of various religious organisations re expected to join the rally. The rally's first phase was in Pakistan's capital
Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...
. During the second phase reached
Muzaffarabad Muzaffarabad (; ur, ) is the capital and largest city of Azad Kashmir, and the 60th largest in Pakistan. The city is located in Muzaffarabad District, near the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by the Pak ...
and
Chakothi Chakothi ( ur, ; ) is a border village in the Hattian Bala District of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located from Muzaffarabad, near the Line of Control on the banks of the Jhelum River. Chakothi is the check post to Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus s ...
. In the third phase, the rally planned to cross into Jammu and Kashmir. All government officials were directed to wear black arm bands and prayers for Kashmiris were held during the afternoon. In addition, all
diplomatic missions A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...
of Pakistan were scheduled to hold special ceremonies to highlight the issue and
overseas Pakistanis Overseas Pakistanis ( ur, ), or the Pakistani diaspora, refers to Pakistani people who live outside of Pakistan. These include citizens that have migrated to another country as well as people born abroad of Pakistani descent. According to th ...
would hold demonstrations outside offices of
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
around the world. In a special message, Sharif said that India had no option but to accept "defeat" in front of the "freedom wave" in Kashmir. Sharif declared that Pakistan would approach the
United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...
on behalf of itself and
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...
to request it to send a fact-finding team over the killings of civilians in Kashmir and banning the use of pellet guns. Pakistan's
Ambassador to the United Nations A permanent representative to the United Nations (sometimes called a "UN ambassador")"History of Ambassadors", United States Mission to the United Nations, March 2011, webpagUSUN-a. is the head of a country's diplomatic mission to the United Nati ...
Maleeha Lodhi Maleeha Lodhi ( ur, ; born 15 November 1952) is a Pakistani diplomat, political scientist, and a former Pakistan's Representative to the United Nations. She was the first woman to hold the position. Previously, she served as Pakistan's envo ...
met with UN officials on 19 July. She briefed them on Kashmir and forwarded letters by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs
Sartaj Aziz Sartaj Aziz ( ur, ; born 7 February 1929) is a Pakistani economist and a strategist, having previously served as the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, member of the federal cabinet as the ''de facto'' Minister for Forei ...
, who raised the issue of civilian deaths and said that Kashmiris fundamental human rights had been violated. A JuD official reported on 25 July that a 30-member medical team of its Muslim Medical Mission would apply for visas to India in order to treat the injured Kashmiri civilians and would seek help of Pakistan's government in getting the visas. The mission's president threatened to hold demonstrations if the Indian government denied its visas. The Indian Embassy in Islamabad did not allow the team to enter its premises when they went there on 26 July. The team then applied through the Internet and courier. A caravan of the JuD bringing relief material was stopped on 2 August by Pakistani security forces at Chakothi. The organisation declared that they would not leave unless India accepted the relief material. On 1 August, the
Parliament of Pakistan The Parliament of Pakistan ( ur, , , "Pakistan Advisory Council" or "Pakistan Consultative Assembly") is the federal and supreme legislative body of Pakistan. It is a bicameralism, bicameral federation, federal legislature that consists of ...
unanimously passed a resolution criticising the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir and demanded the UNHRC investigate it. On 3 August, ahead of the SAARC Interior Ministers' Conference, Sharif called the situation "a new wave of freedom movement," and said, "The Kashmiri youth are writing new chapters of sacrifices to get the right to self determination." On 6 August, Pakistan's government offered medical treatment to those injured requested the international community to ask the Indian government to allow it to treat injured Kashmiris which was rejected by the Indian government. On 26 August, Sartaj Aziz met ambassadors of
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
and
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
. In the meeting, he briefed the ambassadors about the "killings and human rights violations". On 1 September, Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakariya stated that Sharif had written another letter to
Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...
alleging the situation in Kashmir was deteriorating and requested a fact-finding mission to probe alleged human rights violations. On 6 September,
Awais Leghari Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari (Urdu language, Urdu: اویس احمد خان لغاری‎; born 22 March 1971) is a Pakistani politician who is currently an Finance department, Punjab (Pakistan), Minister of Finance Department & Revenue Punjab ...
on of 22
members of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
selected to highlight the situation, briefed the presidents of
Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...
and
International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
over the alleged human rights violations and attacked India's use of pellet guns. On 7 September, General Raheel Sharif stated that the solution for the Kashmir issue lay in heeding the Kashmiris and respecting their aspirations, not in shooting at them. On 13 September 2016, Sharif dedicated Eid al-Adha to "sacrifices of Kashmiris" and stated that their voices could not be suppressed through force.
President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Mamnoon Hussain Mamnoon Hussain ( ur, ; 22 December 1941 – 14 July 2021) was a Pakistani politician and industrialist who served as the 12th president of Pakistan from 2013 to 2018. He was first appointed Governor of Sindh in June 1999 by President Rafiq ...
stated that Kashmiris were attacked for their demands of self-determination and Pakistanis must support them. During his speech at the
United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
on 21 September, Sharif highlighted Wani as a symbol of the latest "Kashmiri Intifada" while calling for an independent inquiry into the alleged extrajudicial killings committed by Indian security forces in Kashmir. On 30 May 2017, the Punjab Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution demanding that Pakistan's federal government immediately take the Kashmir issue to the United Nations.


United Nations

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Secretary General Ban conveyed his concern over Kashmir and called for maximum restraint from all parties. He offered to mediate between
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, provided both countries agreed. UNHRC requested the Indian government to let it visit Kashmir to investigate the alleged human rights abuses. The request was rejected, calling the request interference in the country's internal affairs. On 17 August, United Nations'
High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the United Nations Human Rights Office, is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nati ...
Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad bin Zeid al-Hussein ( ar, زيد ابن رعد الحسين; born 26 January 1964) is a Jordanian former diplomat who is the Perry World House Professor of the Practice of Law and Human Rights at the University of Pennsylvan ...
appealed to the Indian and Pakistani governments to allow access. On 12 August, Ban responded to a letter from Sharif, stating: "I deplore the loss of life and hope that all efforts will be made to avoid further violence... The United Nations remains convinced that it is only through dialogue that the outstanding issues between Pakistan and India, including on Kashmir, can be addressed."


United States

The
US Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other ...
briefed the media on 12 and 14 July, stating that the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
was concerned about the violence in Jammu & Kashmir and that the US government was in touch with India and Pakistan. Sharif met Secretary of State
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...
in September, and expressed their "strong concern" over the violence, particularly the attack on an army base in Uri. The official State Department press release mentioned that Kerry reiterated the need for Pakistan to prevent terrorists from using Pakistani territory as safe havens, while commending recent efforts by Pakistani security forces to counter extremist violence.


European Union

In a statement on 28 July, the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
expressed its condolences to those killed and injured while urging calm and law and order, further urging India and Pakistan to involve people of Kashmir in the dialogue.


Organization of Islamic Cooperation

In July 2016, the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...
's (OIC) Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission expressed concern over alleged human rights violations. In August, OIC's secretary-general
Iyad bin Amin Madani Iyad bin Amin Madani (born 26 April 1946) is a Saudi politician who served in different cabinet posts. He was the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation from 2014 to November 2016. He was the first Saudi official to hold tha ...
said human rights violations in Kashmir were "not an internal matter of the Indian state", adding: "The international community should raise its voice against the atrocities in India-held Kashmir... The situation in Kashmir is heading towards a referendum. No one should be afraid of a referendum and the solution should be through the United Nations resolutions." On 19 September, the OIC's contact group on Kashmir met at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly. Amin again expressed concerns and called for an immediate settlement in accordance with wishes of Kashmiri people and
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
resolutions, while calling on India to immediately stop committing atrocities in Kashmir. Turkey emphasised the need to resolve the dispute, while
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
called on the OIC to explore "innovative means to highlight the human rights violations" occurring in Kashmir.


China

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
expressed concern over the casualties and called for a proper settlement of the Kashmiri issue through peaceful means. Pakistani media reports claimed that Prime Minister
Li Keqiang Li Keqiang (born 1 July 1955) is a Chinese politician who is the outgoing premier of China. An economist by profession, Li is head of China's executive branch as well as one of the leading figures behind China's Financial and Economic Affai ...
assured his country's support to Pakistan. The statement added, "We support Pakistan and will speak for Pakistan at every forum." Li encouraged Pakistan and India to de-escalate tensions . China's official press release on a meeting between Keqiang and Sharif made no mention of Kashmir.


Turkey

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
backed Pakistan's position of sending a team from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to probe the alleged human rights violations, expressing hopes that the Kashmir issue would be resolved through dialogue.


Italy

Pakistani media reports claimed that Italy's defence minister
Roberta Pinotti Roberta Pinotti (born 20 May 1961) is an Italian politician, member of the Democratic Party. From 22 February 2014 to 1 June 2018 she served as the Italian Minister of Defence in the governments of Matteo Renzi and Paolo Gentiloni. Early life ...
(while visiting Pakistan) said India's use of force was "unbearable", and that Italy would apprise the international community concerning the situation. However, Italy's official press release made no mention of Kashmir.


Belarus

A press release by Pakistan government mentioned that Belarusian President
Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian language, Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian language, Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;, ; rus, Александр Григорьевич Лука ...
during his visit to Islamabad in October 2016, exchanged views on Kashmir with Sharif. The two delegations released a joint statement underlining the "need for resolution of all outstanding issues between Pakistan and India including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute through peaceful means and in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions". However, the official press release by Office of President of Belarus made no mention of Kashmir or UN resolutions.


Amnesty International

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
accused Indian security forces of using "arbitrary and excessive force" to deal with the protests. It stated that their actions were a violation of international standards and were worsening the human rights crisis. The organisation criticised the use of pellet guns. It called for a ban, and also expressed concern at the deployment of PAVA shells as they could be used in an "arbitrary or indiscriminate manner". Following a seminar on human rights abuses in Kashmir, the group was accused of sedition in India.


Human Rights Watch

In July,
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
(HRW) urged Indian authorities to credibly and impartially investigate the use of lethal force. HRW's South Asia Director Meenakshi Ganguly criticized India for previously ignoring "the finding of abuses under the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act". Later in October, HRW urged Indian authorities to end arbitrary detentions.


Pellet guns

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
asked the Indian government to end the use of pellet guns. On 4 August, Amnesty International India called for such a ban following the death of a third person. In response to pellet gun-related casualties, R. Singh announced that a panel would be set up to look for alternatives. During a visit to Kashmir, he asked security forces to avoid using pellet guns as much as possible. The
Director-General A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'' ) or general director is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer, within a government ...
of Central Reserve Police Force, K. Durga Prasad, in a statement issued on 25 July, regretted the injuries to Kashmiri civilians, but said that they were the least lethal option available and assured that they would only be used in extreme situations.
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
D. S. Hooda, chief of the Northern Command of the
Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
, supported his claim. Prasad's comments were criticised by Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and
Amarinder Singh Captain Amarinder Singh (born 11 March 1942), is an Indian politician, military historian, former royal and Indian Army veteran who served as the 15th Chief Minister of Punjab. A former Member of the Legislative Assembly, Punjab and Member ...
as well as
Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami is an Indian politician from Jammu and Kashmir. He is the Convenor and Spokesperson of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration. He earlier represented the Kulgam Assembly Constituency in the Jammu and Kashmir Legi ...
, the state chief of
CPI-M The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxist–Leninist communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in terms of membership and electoral seats and one of the nat ...
. The
Jammu and Kashmir High Court The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is the common high court for union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. It was established as the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir on 26 March 1928 by the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. The s ...
on 23 July advised the government to discontinue the use of pellet guns. On 26 July, the court required the Union Government to report on the use of the guns. It asked the government to only allow trained personnel to use them, while looking into other means of crowd-control. The High Court issued notices to the state and Union government asking them to file a response to a petition seeking to ban the guns. Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh ruled out a ban on the weapons, stating they were only used in extreme situations. The army recommended the use of sound cannons, pepper shotguns and chilli grenades instead of pellet guns. In an affidavit filed before the court on 17 August, CRPF told the court that the guns were only used in extreme situations and their withdrawal would force CRPF personnel to resort to the use of rifles, which might increase fatalities. The government-appointed panel submitted its report on 29 August, reportedly recommending
nonivamide Nonivamide, also called pelargonic acid vanillylamide or PAVA, is an organic compound and a capsaicinoid. It is an amide of pelargonic acid (n-nonanoic acid) and vanillyl amine. It is present in chili peppers, but is commonly manufactured synthe ...
(PAVA) shells, stun lac shells and
Long Range Acoustic Device A long-range acoustic device (LRAD) is an acoustic hailing device (AHD), sound cannon and sonic weapon developed by Genasys. It has been used as a method of crowd control, which has caused permanent hearing damage, having an extremely high ...
s. It was reported that a ban on pellet guns was ruled out, but the use of weapons would be limited only to the "rarest of rare" cases. On 3 September, R. Singh approved PAVA shells as a replacement. On 6 September, the state government justified the use of pellet guns before the state's high court, stating they were a modern method to deal with violent protesters and contended that a court could not specify how situations were to be handled. It claimed that pellet guns were not compatible with the Standard Operating Procedure of firing below the knees as the pellets spread to a diameter of 6 metres. On 10 September, V.K. Singh, former chief of Indian Army, supported the use of pellet guns stating they were non-lethal and were a "sensible and well-thought" alternative. On 21 September, the state High Court rejected the ban petition, stating that the use of force was inevitable as long as unruly mobs were violent. In February 2017, CRPF introduced deflectors as a modification for its pellet guns.


See also

*
2008 Kashmir unrest On 26 May 2008, the government of India and the state Government of Jammu and Kashmir reached an agreement to transfer of forest land to the ''Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board'' (SASB) in the main Kashmir valley to set up temporary shelters and f ...
*
2010 Kashmir unrest The 2010 Kashmir unrest was a series of violent protests and riots in the Kashmir Division and Northern Jammu Division of Jammu and Kashmir, India which started in June 2010 after the Indian Army claimed to have killed three Pakistani infiltra ...
* 2017 Srinagar by-election * 2019 Kashmir lockdown


Notes


References


External links


Video:Kashmir unrest prompts new curfew
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kashmir Unrest, 2016 2016 protests 2016 in India 2017 in India 2010s in Jammu and Kashmir Kashmir unrest Kashmir unrest Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir July 2016 events in India August 2016 events in India Kashmir conflict Riots and civil disorder in India