Target: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari
Goal: Condemn the Pakistan government and military for the beheading of two Indian soldiers and demand investigation and punishment of those responsible.
On January 8th in the district of Poonch, two Indian soldiers were shot to death and then decapitated in a Pakistani border raid. India and Pakistan share a disputed 740 kilometer heavily militarized border known as the Line-of-Control in the province of Kashmir. Pakistani soldiers attacked the Indian side and took the heads of two Indian soldiers as trophies. Sign the petition to condemn the barbaric beheading of Indian soldiers.
The province of Kashmir is claimed by both nations. India and Pakistan have fought four wars over the province of Kashmir since independence. The most recent war was the Kargil War fought in 1999. In September 2003, India and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement. Despite the agreement there has been a large number of ceasefire violations. In 2012 the most ceasefire violations ever were recorded with 120 cross-border clashes. The practice of beheading is used by militants such as the Taliban.
What makes this incident stand out is its grisly nature. There has been an escalation of violence since 2011 when many “head hunting” raids began occurring. Bodies of ambushed Indian soldiers have been found badly mutilated and beheaded. The Indian Army Northern Command and senior army officials have confirmed that the bodies were found beheaded with the heads carried away. Sign the petition to condemn this archaic and barbaric action and demand Pakistan investigate and punish those responsible.
Dear President Asif Ali Zardari,
I am writing as a concerned human rights activist to express my shock and horror at the actions of Pakistani soldiers in an incident on January 8th 2013. In the Poonch district of Kashmir, along the Line-of-Control, two Indian soldiers were found beheaded. They were first shot dead by Pakistani soldiers in a cross-border raid and their bodies were decapitated with the heads carried off as trophies.
This is not the first “head hunting” raid; such incidents have been recorded since 2011 and earlier. Most troublingly there have been 120 ceasefire violations in 2012 alone. Both India and Pakistan have traded blame for the recent incident. It is important for the Pakistan Government to take action to investigate the incident and punish the soldiers responsible. The Geneva Convention and human rights law apply even during war; they most certainly apply with even greater force during peace time. Pakistan must show that this kind of behavior from its soldiers is unacceptable. These kinds of incidents must not happen in the future.
I hope you take my thoughts into consideration.
[Your Name Here]