Kashmiri sufferings must end, says UK MP at webinar

LONDON: Current and former British and European Union lawmakers have called on the world to honour and respect the human rights of the Kashmiri people and settle the Kashmir dispute as per the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

“Kashmiri sufferings must come to an end,” said Conservative MP Steve Baker at a webinar in connection with International Human Rights Day organised by the Tehreek-e-Kashmir United Kingdom (TeK UK).

Baker analysed the complex geopolitical situation in the region and said the world must settle the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as per the wishes of Kashmiris. Labour’s Afzal Khan MP said more delay in the settlement of Indian-occupied Kashmir will heighten tension in the region and emphasised that a recent EU Disinfo report has exposed a network of fake NGOs acting as Indian propaganda tools. “People of Kashmir must be given their right of self-determination granted by the United Nations and more delay in the plebiscite is injustice with people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” Khan added.

Phillip Bennion, a former MEP, said it is now the duty of world to honour and respect the human rights of Kashmiri people who are fighting for their political rights.

Muhammad Yasin MP said India should respect the UN resolutions and immediately conduct the plebiscite in Indian occupied Kashmir to end the sufferings of the people of Kashmir and let them decide about their future.

The conference was chaired by TeK UK President Fahim Kayani and moderated by Uzma Rasool from London.

On the occasion, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan said the world must take the notice of human rights abuses in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir and emphasised that individuals and organisations should raise the Kashmir dispute at every global forum to stop India from committing genocide of Kashmiris.

“Now India is grabbing land and demolishing the homes of nomads in occupied Kashmir which shows how swiftly the Indian government is working to follow the pattern of Israel. Such acts from the Modi government may put the whole peace of South Asia at stake,” the President added.

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar thanked TeK UK and commented that TeK is one of the oldest organisations of UK and it has been working tirelessly to highlight the sufferings of the people of IOJK at an international level for the last four decades. Kayani said India is violating the basic rights in occupied Kashmir to cement the illegal occupation that needs the global attention on a humanitarian basis. “Besides political, Indian occupied Kashmir is also a humanitarian issue that must be settled on the basis of humanity,” Kayani added.