UK lawmakers slam ‘outrageous erosion’ of HR in held Kashmir

LONDON: British lawmakers have condemned India over the “outrageous erosion of human rights” and the use of sexual violence in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK), as they joined the leadership of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Pakistan High Commissioner Nafees Zakaria in a webinar organised by the Pakistan High Commission.

The speakers called upon the international community and the United Nations to take serious notice of the widespread abuses in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK). Speaking on the occasion, Afzal Khan MP strongly condemned India for the human right abuses including violence against women, sexual abuses, tortures and killings of people including youth to subdue their right to self determination.

He said thousands of Kashmiri women have lost their husbands and they need justice from the international community. He called for creating awareness about the importance of Kashmir dispute internationally, including in the United Kingdom, so steps could be taken for the peaceful resolution of the dispute and in accordance with UNSC resolutions.

He added that the lockdown in the UN and in IOJK were quite different as the people in IOJK were without medicine and jobs and they need the international community’s help in this regard. Speaking on the occasion Tony Lloyd MP expressed his deep concern over the “outrageous erosion of human rights” in Indian held Kashmir. He condemned the abuse against women at the hands of Indian occupation forces, adding that sexual violence against women was a war crime.

He said Britain as member of Permanent Five (P-5) has influence in the UNSC and “We have responsibility to implement UN resolutions on Kashmir”. “People of Kashmir deserve the right of self determination,” he remarked.

In his remarks, Imran Hussain MP strongly condemning the ongoing human rights crisis in IOJK, said this practise of injustice had been continuing since 1948 against the people of occupied Kashmir and the same atrocities were still continuing unchecked against the innocent Kashmiris. He questioned why the international community “has shut its eyes on the gross violations of human rights” in IOJK. He also condemned the draconian laws there which were in contravention of international laws and human rights. He called for doing away with these laws for the protection of innocent lives of people of IOJK.

AJK President Sardar Masood Khan said sexual violence against women and genocide of youth and children and torture against innocent Kashmiris in IOJK were rampant and continued unabated. He said that more than 900,000 Indian occupation forces in occupied Kashmir were perpetrating untold atrocities against the women, youth and children.

Speaking on the occasion, Mashaal Mullick, wife of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader Yasin Malik — who was incarcerated in Tihar Jail by India on false charges against him — said she belonged to IOJK and was a victim of Indian torture as her husband was languishing in Indian jail and she was living like a “half widow”.

British-Pakistani and Kashmiri leaders Shahid Iqbal, Yasmin Dar, Raja Najabat Hussain, Dr Nazir Gillani, Syed Ali Raza ,Khalid Mehmood, Asim Rashid, Liaqat Ali,Sikandar Khan ,Muhammad Ayub Thakur, and Uzma Rasool also spoke on the occasion.

High Commissioner Zakaria in his concluding remarks thanked the participants and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to extend full moral, political and diplomatic support to people of Indian occupied Kashmir till the achievement of their birth right to self-determination and complete freedom from Indian subjugation.