New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been submitted to the Supreme Court of India, calling for an immediate halt on the export of arms and military equipment from Indian firms to Israel. The petition, driven by concerns over alleged genocide activities in Gaza, urges the Indian government to revoke existing licenses and prevent the issuance of new ones for such exports.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the PIL was initiated by a group of 11 individuals, including Ashok Kumar Sharma from Noida, and is represented by lawyer Prashant Bhushan. The petition targets the Ministry of Defence, highlighting India’s commitments under international law and its constitutional duties which, the petitioners argue, are violated by continuing arms trade with Israel. The plea stresses that this trade might contribute to serious breaches of international humanitarian law.
The petition specifically requests the judiciary to issue a writ of mandamus or a similar directive to the Indian government to cease granting new licenses and to cancel the existing ones for the export of military equipment to Israel. This action is deemed necessary in light of recent international judicial decisions and advisories, including a January ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which imposed provisional measures against Israel for alleged violations in Gaza related to the genocide convention.
The PIL underscores the gravity of the situation by referring to the ICJ’s provisional measures, which demand an immediate cessation of military actions by Israel that are harmful to Palestinians. Following this international court’s decision, United Nations experts have also cautioned against the transfer of weapons to Israel, warning that such actions could lead to violations of human rights and international laws, potentially implicating state complicity in international crimes, including genocide.