UK MPs urge UN to take Kashmir issue to its logical end

ISLAMABAD: British Member of Parliament Barrister Imran Hussain on Tuesday said the United Nations Security Council’s taking up Kashmir issue after 50 years was a huge thing, but the world body still had the role to play, taking this issue to its logical end.

The legislator emphasised that the fact this issue was taken up by the world body after 50 years was a huge thing but he wanted to register concern, as he believed that the world body should have had gone further. He was speaking to journalists here at a media conference along with AJK President Sardar Masood Khan and another British MP Khalid Mehmood. He believed that there should have had been an agreed statement of condemnation, which was not issued owing to some reasons. “While we welcome, however, I believe that the Security Council still has a role to play, the international community has a role to play and we will continue to push for that in the British Parliament,” he maintained.

Referring to the prevailing situation in Indian Held Kashmir, he said the lockdown events were leading to a very worrying situation. "We demand from the international community, and will also bring this up in the British parliament, that the injustice against Kashmiris must stop and must stop imminently," he emphasised.

The British parliamentarian noted that the situation at the moment should concern the entire international community. The step taken by the Indian government was, firstly a violation of their own constitution; secondly, it was a violation of different UN resolutions and thirdly, it was in direct contravention of numerous international obligations that all states have, and in particular Article 49 of the fourth Geneva Convention.

He appreciated Pakistan for its peaceful response to the Indian government's measures. Barrister Imran Hussain praised Pakistan's peaceful stance in a very, very difficult period while castigated Indian ministers for using what he called irresponsible and loose language regarding AJK. He remarked, "we condemn it. I wanted to say this in Pakistan and in Azad Kashmir, I warn those people that use this very irresponsible language and they should refrain from using it. This is provocative language and it is being used on an international level; it is wholly inappropriate".

Barrister Imran Hussain said the British parliamentary delegation had arrived in Pakistan on an official invitation from the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. He added that the delegation had met President Dr. Arif Alvi and was given briefings at the Foreign Office earlier in the day. The delegation will also meet Prime Minister Imran Khan and hopefully visit the Line of Control over the next two days.

He expressed concern over the continuing ‘blockade’ in Indian Occupied Kashmir and said that while the reports coming from the region, which had been under lockdown for over three weeks, were unconfirmed, the briefings that the British parliamentary delegation had received so far indicated that the events were leading up to a very worrying situation.

AJK president expressed gratitude to the UK for not opposing the meeting held on the Kashmir issue in the UNSC. He said that Britain had also expressed concern over the atrocities and human rights violations committed by the Indian forces in the occupied Kashmir during the UNSC meeting and had called for a quick resolution of the dispute.

President Masood Khan said the entire world community had rejected the false Indian narrative on Held Kashmir and India was committing genocide in the region, which was being condemned far and wide. Citing the recent UNSC session, he noted that the world body its meeting also voiced concerns over the human rights violations in Indian Held Kashmir.

Masood Khan noted that it was for the first time that the civil society and political parties within India were raising a strong voice against the illegal steps taken by Modi government in the held territory. He urged the British government to break its silence and raise its voice to support oppressed people of Held Kashmir. He said the United Kingdom needed to play its due role as permanent member of UN Security Council, saying over 10000 youths had been abducted from the held Valley and been imprisoned in notorious detention centers of India.

Another member of British Parliament Khalid Mahmood said the people of Kashmir were waging a struggle for their right to self-determination over the last seventy years. He added the question arose if East Timor and South Sudan could get independence then why not Kashmiris. He said they would also raise the plight of Kashmiri people at the upcoming session of the British Parliament.

Stephen Timms, Member of British Parliament said people of Held Kashmir were facing communication lockdown. Expressing deep concerns over India's unilateral action of changing status of Kashmir, he contended status could not be changed without consent of the people.