LONDON: Putting the British government on notice over grave human rights situation in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIoJK), the Upper House lawmakers have urged authorities to intervene and prevent genocide in the UN-designated disputed region and play its role in implementing UN resolutions on Kashmir.
Addressing a special debate last week to discuss 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 not?” Hussain told the debate at the House of Lords, commonly referred to as Upper House in bicameral legislatures.
Many British lawmakers joined the debate where questions regarding India’s inhuman and war crimes were debates.
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 are His Majesty’s (British) Government taking to prevent a genocide in Kashmir?” Hussain asked the government, 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 IIoJK giving native Kashmiris a right to determine their future, Hussain ask 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 occupying 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 us that “there are many of those with consciousness who support causes of freedom and justice.”
“Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK is thankful to Lord Qurban Hussain for taking this initiative to question the claims of democracy, normalcy in IIoJK,” Kayani said, adding that it was responsibility of the British government to maintain same standards on democracy while engaging with any country.
Kayani said pointing to non-implementation of Un resolutions was the main cause for every violation that India is committing in IIoJK.
“As rightly pointed out by Lord Hussain, it is the fascist Indian state that is denying this basic yet universal right to determine future of native Kashmiris and that has caused havoc in the UN-designated disputed region,” Kayani said.