The top human rights body in Kashmir on Thursday asked the state authorities to exempt the school buses and ambulances from the plan of blocking civilian traffic when movement of forces’ convoy is on.
The State Human Rights Commission chairman Justice (Rtd) Bilal Nazki issued a notice to J&K chief secretary and the DGP of J&K Police to submit a detailed compliance report before the commission over exempting school buses and ambulances from the convoy movement plan.
The SHRC direction came in response to a petition filed by International Forum of Justice and Human Rights (IFJHR) in case number SHRC/58/2019.
In his petition, the IFJHR wrote that the restrictions placed during the convoy movement following Pulwama attack were affecting the school buses and ambulances.
The petition said the right to education is one of the fundamental rights and it cannot be curtailed or snatched by any government order.
“It is therefore requested that the SHRC may take cognizance of the petition and the authorities concerned may be directed to exempt the school buses and ambulances from the ambit of restrictions,” the petition states.
The petition comes amid an uproar in Kashmir Valley with dozens of schools complaining that the students were not able to reach on time as authorities impose curbs on movement of civilian vehicles when forces’ convoy is moving on the roads.