LONDON – The United Kingdom has asked India to lift all restrictionsimposed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) and allow ateam from its High Commission in Delhi to visit the occupied valley for afirst-hand assessment of the situation.
The demand has been made by the UK Secretary of State for Justice RobertBuckland while replying to a debate on the “political situation in Kashmir”in the Westminster Hall.
The debate was tabled by Labour Party MP Sarah Owen.
Responding to the debate, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and DevelopmentOffice Minister, Nigel Adams said the situation in Kashmir remains an issuefor India and Pakistan and it should be resolved according to the wishes ofKashmiri people.
Owen while lashing out at lockdown imposed by Indian government said thatthe restrictions have not been implemented for safety purposes but forstrengthening its illegal occupation.
She lamented that Muslims are being restricted from going to hospitalswhile Kashmiri women and girls are being raped by occupant forces.
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He said, “Kashmiris’ freedom of speech online is suffocated to the pointthat any criticism against the Indian govt, risks terrorism charges”.
John Speller, another UK MP, said: “This is not a matter of left or right.This is a matter of right and wrong.
“We are not against India. It is a massive country…with limitlesspotential. But that does not mean we shouldn’t hold the Indian govt toaccount for its abusive behaviour, esp in #Kashmir”.
John Speller MP rightly states that the removal of autonomy of Kashmir isspecific to trying to change the demographics on the ground to change theresult of any possible future referendum.
