LONDON, Jan 24: The All Parties Parliamentary Group on Kashmir which met at the House of Commons on Tuesday rejected the Baroness Emma Nicholson draft report on Kashmir, formulated for the European Union Foreign Affairs Committee.
The meeting was convened by MP Martin Salter and was attended by MPs and members of the House of Lords belonging to the all the parties represented in the British Parliament.
Pakistan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr Maleeha Lodhi gave a resume of the report to the participants and said the document lacked balance and was biased. She appreciated the support of the Kashmiri community in the UK with regard to their opposition to this report and also praised the efforts of British parliamentarians to bring about massive amendments to it.
Speaking about the report, Mr Salter said report is so biased that it should be withdrawn and replaced with a balanced document, reflecting the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, living on both sides of the Line of Control.
The meeting was informed that a set of comprehensive amendments totalling around 450 have been moved to this report.
The participants were further informed that due to sheer volume of amendments moved, the final voting by the EU Foreign Affairs Committee on the report could take place towards the end of February instead of scheduled January 30 date.
The preliminary two-day hearing of the report begins in Brussels on Wednesday.
Lord Nazir Ahmad, MPs Mohammad Sarwar and Shahid Malik and Lord Avebury were among the participants at the meeting.—APP
