LONDON – British Parliamentarians have raised serious concerns over humanrights abuses in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) calling upon India to stopthe abuses in held Kashmir and comply with UN Resolutions on Kashmir toallow Kashmiri people to exercise their birth right to self determination.

This voice was raised by the British parliamentarians and other speakers ata seminar organized by Pakistan High Commission London in connection with“Kashmir Black Day” at the British Parliament the other day.

They said that an Inquiry Report of APPG on Kashmir into human rightsviolations in IoK to be launched on Tuesday at the British Parliament.Kashmir Black Day is observed on October 27 every year against the illegaloccupation of Jammu & Kashmir by India.

This is the day, when, in 1947, India sent its armed forces to Jammu &Kashmir and occupied it in total violation of the Indian Independence Actand Partition Plan, and against the aspiration of the Kashmiri people.Besides a large number of British Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora, theseminar was attendedby a number of British Parliamentarians and human rights activists who wereactively working on resolution of the Kashmir issue.

The participants of the seminar strongly condemned Indian atrocities andhuman rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK).They said that unresolved Kashmir dispute was a permanent threat to thesecurity of people of the region and global peace, specially after thenuclearization of South Asia as both Pakistan and India were the nuclearpowers.They urged India to end draconian laws in the IoK and meet itsinternational obligation by giving the Kashmiris their right toself-determination, as enshrined in the UN resolutions.

On this occasion, Chairman All parties parliamentary group ( APPG) onKashmir and member parliament (MP) Chris Leslie announced that the InquiryReport of APPG on Kashmir into human rights violations in the IndianOccupied Kashmir will be officially launched at the British Parliament on30 October 30,2018. Subsequently, the Report will be presented to theBritish Parliament, UK Government, the United Nations and otherinternational human rights bodies.

Acting Pakistan’s High Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK), Muhammad Ayub,in his remarks, urged the international community to come forward and playits role in immediate cessation of massive violations of human rights inKashmir, and ending the impunity enjoyed by Indian security forces.

He said: “Despite commitments made by the early Indian leadership andnumerous resolutions of the UN Security Council, the Indian Government hasunleashed a reign of terror in the occupied Kashmir, in complete disregardfor international human rights and humanitarian laws. Today, the plight ofdefenceless people in the occupied Kashmir is worse than ever.Theirsufferings are indeed an affront to the conscience of humanity.”

The Acting High Commissioner added: “Pakistan welcomes the UN SecretaryGeneral’s statement, OIC resolution and the proposal by the UN HighCommissioner for Human Rights toestablish a Commission of Inquiry for international investigation intohuman rights violations in the IndianOccupied Jammu & Kashmir (IoK).”

The seminar was chaired by Jack Brereton MP. Other Parliamentarians whospoke at the seminar included: Ian Lewis MP, Steve Baker MP, Lord QurbanHussain, Faisal Rashid MP, Afzal Khan MP, Muhammad Yasin MP and JulieCooper MP. Yasmin Dar represented the Jammu Kashmir Self DeterminationMovement International (JKSDMI), whereas Chairman Third World SolidarityAlderman Mushtaq Lasharie moderated the event.

As short documentary on human rights violations in IoK was shown to theaudience on the occasion and printed material in this regard was alsodistributed among the attendees.