An SNP councillor has called for 'Kashmiri's to have the right of self determination,' reports Imran Azam from Glasgow.

Jahangir Hanif, who represents the Southside Central ward in Glasgow, made the comment earlier this week, when addressing a 300 strong crowd outside the Indian consulate in Edinburgh, which was gathered to show solidarity with the people of Kashmir.

Speaking in both English and Urdu he went onto accuse the “world’s largest democracy” of ignoring a UN resolution, which in 1948, called for Kashmiris to have the right of self determination. To loud cheers he concluded: “For too long this issue has been ignored. We must raise this with our MSPs and MPs. We will not rest till Kashmir is free.”

Organisers Tehreek e Kashmir (TeK) Scotland urged their members to travel to Edinburgh to protest the deaths of over 50 Kashmiris, sparked by the recent killing of a popular rebel leader by Indian soldiers.

It has been reported that since the death of Burhan Wani on July 8 close to three thousand people have been injured as pro separatist supporters have clashed with Indian security forces.

A spokesperson for TeK Scotland said: “We strongly condemn recent atrocities and gross violation of basic human rights and excesses being perpetrated by the brutal Indian military and paramilitary troops.

“We urge upon all the freedom loving people across the globe in general including India and the people of the United Kingdom and Scotland in particular to raise their voice against this injustice and to give hope to Kashmiri aspirations of living in peace, in freedom and with honour.”

Meanwhile Glasgow Labour MSP Anas Sarwar has lodged a motion urging the Scottish Parliament to “expresses concern at what it sees as the continued silence of the international community on this forgotten conflict, and believes that peace and justice must prevail and that the Kashmiri people should have the right of self determination.”

Human rights organisations have also raised concern at the tactics employed by Indian security forces.

Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said: “Rock throwing at demonstrations is serious but does not provide police a free pass to use force against protesters.

"The Indian authorities need to send a clear message that lethal force is only an option when a life is at imminent risk and those misusing force will be held accountable.”

Furthermore Amnesty International’s India campaigner Zahoor Wani has condemned the targeting of medical staff treating those who have been injured in the violence. Doctors at the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital in the capital Srinagar have told Amnesty that security forces had fired tear gas inside the premises and harassed staff.

He said: “Any attacks on health facilities or medical professionals are unacceptable, and must be prosecuted. The security forces must distinguish between persons engaging in violence and peaceful demonstrators or bystanders.

“Protestors who engage in human rights abuses must be held accountable for their actions. But heavy-handedness by those policing the protests risks exacerbating a situation that is already tense.”

In addition to the imposing of a curfew internet and telephone connections were also blocked in certain areas.

A spokesperson for the Central Reserve Police Force has told Indian media that their officers have shown “maximum restraint” when dealing with protestors.

The Indian consulate has not responded.

Kashmir is disputed territory between India and Pakistan. Two out of the three wars between the two South Asian neighbours have been over control of the region.

In addition a two decade long insurgency, which peaked in the 1990s, in Indian administered Kashmir, has cost over 80,000 lives.