British Parliamentarians express solidarity with the people of IIOJK; exhibit deep concern over the humanitarian crisis in IIOJK

Call upon the Parliament and the British government to take notice of the gross human rights violations in IIOJK.

The meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Jammu & Kashmir was held in the UK Parliament on Tuesday. Chaired by MP Debbie Abrahams, Chairperson APPG on Jammu & Kashmir, the meeting was attended by a large number of cross-party British Parliamentarians and UK based Kashmiri leaders.

The British Parliamentarians expressed deep concerns over the worsening humanitarian crisis in IIOJK. They called upon the UK Government and the Parliament to play their  role in ending the sufferings of millions of Kashmiris. The Parliamentarians vowed to continue raising the issue of human rights violations in the IIOJK, in the UK's Parliament and other platforms. They expressed their deep concerns over the issue of missing persons in IIOJK, leaving millions of Kashmiri women as half-widows.

The Parliamentarians urged India to allow access to human rights and humanitarian organizations. The participants called upon India to lift the communication blockade, release political prisoners and give access to human rights organisations to visit the illegally occupied territory.  They demanded meaningful intervention by the international community to resolve the conflict according to the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and the aspirations of the people of IIOJK.

In his remarks, Dr Mohammad Faisal, the High Commissioner highlighted the oppression and brutalities inflicted upon the innocent Kashmiri people by the Indian occupation forces. He said that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, deeply rooted in history and geopolitics, was a longstanding issue in South Asia. It was more than a regional or territorial dispute and embodied the aspirations and cultural identities of millions seeking the right to self-determination. He said that the prolonged struggle, spanning more than seven decades, drew the global attention to the significance of international laws and UN Security Council Resolutions.

The High Commissioner said that the recent Indian Supreme Court’s endorsement of India’s unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August, 2019 raised deeper concerns. The Judgement was based on distorted historical and legal arguments, reflecting a travesty of justice. He feared that filing of a concocted case against Mr. Yasin Malik had forced many in the UN-declared disputed region to fear that the Indian State had already decided to sign his death warrant.

Appreciating cross-party British Parliamentarians’ support for the cause of Jammu & Kashmir, the High Commissioner said that it was encouraging that the people of Britain, represented by their Parliamentarians, were conscious of the plight of the Kashmiri people. He said that the presence of a large number of British Parliamentarians at the APPG was a gesture of respect and a strong symbol of support for the shared commitment to the right to self-determination of Kashmiri people.

The Parliamentarians highlighted that according to Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the UN Commission on Human Rights and many other credible organisations, Indian security forces are reported to be involved in illegal detentions, torture, extrajudicial killing, fake encounters, rape and murder with complete impunity under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. They also warned about the fast approaching genocide of the IIOJK at the hands of the Indian government.

Taking stock of the on-ground situation in IIOJK, Mrs. Shaista Saifi, a local Kashmiri said that Kashmiris had become a hostage of their lands. They are subjected to the worst kind of surveillance including the social media surveillance by the Indian Occupied Forces in IIOJK. She said that the world should listen to the voices of the oppressed Kashmiris. She appreciated the British Parliamentarians for raising their voices for the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Published on : February 07, 2024

Last Update : February 07, 2024