Qazi Mizan: The British Upper House lawmakers have urged their government to intervene and prevent genocide in the UN-designated disputed region of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and play its role in implementing UN resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a special debate on situation in IIOJK and in India, Lord Qurban Hussain questioned the British government whether it will link any future free trade deal between the UK and India with human rights.
“If not, why?” Hussain told the debate at the House of Lords, commonly referred to as Upper House in bicameral legislatures.
Many British lawmakers joined the debate and raised questions on India’s inhuman and war crimes in IIOJK.
Fahim Kayani, president Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK, along with prominent journalist Zafar Malik, attended the debate as observers.
Azad Kashmir-born Hussain also urged the British Foreign Affairs authorities to include India in the annual list of countries with human rights concerns.
“What steps is British government taking to prevent genocide in Kashmir?” Hussain asked, citing reports of Genocide Watch, as how a process of genocide was already ongoing in IIOJK.
Presenting the historic events which led to UN passing many resolutions on Kashmir, , Hussain asked the British government to clarify its stand on the UN mandate on Kashmir.
Pointing out that it is India which is deviating from the UN resolutions on Kashmir due to its 900,000 strong occupying troops deployed in IIOJK, Hussain questioned whether the British government considered the UN resolutions on Kashmir of 1948 and 1949 to be still relevant, and “what will our government do to help implement them.”
“Human rights are universal, and Britain is known to be a champion of human rights around the world. As parliamentarians of this country, it is our moral duty to highlight abuses of these rights wherever they occur,” Hussain said at the beginning of the debate.
He presented details of illegal abduction by Indian occupation forces of Kashmiri resistance leadership and activists besides illegal arrest of journalists and human rights defender.
He warned the British government as how India was misusing its foreign contribution law was to crack down on human rights NGOs.
In his comments on debate held at the British House of Lords, Kayani said such events show that “there are many of those with consciousness who support causes of freedom and justice.”
