ISLAMABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan has urged the British parliamentarians “to effectively put pressure on their government and their Foreign and Commonwealth Office to compel India to amicably settle the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

The demand was made by the AJK president while commending the role of various British MPs and Lords who have time and again raised the Kashmir issue in both the House of Commons and House of Lords, during a joint press conference with visiting member of British parliament Afzal Khan here on Saturday.

President Khan said that the desire of Chief Minister of Indian-occupied Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti for held Kashmir to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor could become a reality by connecting Srinagar to Mansehra-Mirpur Expressway via Muzaffarabad, but India would first have to end its rule of tyranny in the occupied valley and its unprovoked firing targeting civilians across the Line of Control (LoC). He added that Mehbooba Mufti must cease being a facilitator to New Delhi in its occupation of the valley.

British MP asks international community to take cognisance of human rights violations taking place in India-held Kashmir

Replying a question about the civilians living along the LoC, the president said that an increase in compensation for casualties was being discussed and funds had been approved for construction of bunkers. He said that India was deliberately escalating the situation by violating the ceasefire agreement. By doing so, he added, India was trying to divert the international community’s attention from the atrocities taking place in held Kashmir.

The AJK president paid rich tribute to the Kashmiri people and the Hurriyat leadership in Indian-occupied Kashmir who were courageously facing the persecution and victimisation of Indian occupation forces.

He strongly condemned the “unabated killings, blinding, maiming and dishonouring of Kashmiris by the Indian occupation forces”.

The AJK president thanked MP Afzal Khan for his resolute stance on the Kashmir issue. He said that British MPs of Pakistani and Kashmiri origin had always played a pivotal role in highlighting the Kashmir issue in the UK parliament and in sensitising the British people on human right violations taking place in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

Mr Khan said that India had always created hurdles for political, diplomatic and peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute for the past 70 years. India, he said, had falsely and maliciously demonised the peaceful political struggle in the occupied Kashmir by terming it militancy and terrorism.

Highlighting the plight of the Kashmiris being persecuted in the occupied valley, he said that India had used various machinations in curtailing the unarmed indigenous freedom struggle. But India would never succeed in quashing the freedom movement through its coercion, economic blandishments and political manoeuvres.

He said that Pakistan had always shown restraint in retaliatory fire and avoiding first fire “as we consider the civilians living in occupied Kashmir as our own citizens.” He said, “Our citizens living in areas close to the LoC in AJK are at the frontline of Indian fire and we will do everything to ensure their safety and welfare.”

MP Afzal Khan on the occasion said that the international community must take cognisance of the human right violations taking place in held Kashmir. He said the world must not prioritise political, economic and strategic interests over the atrocities taking place in occupied Kashmir.

The president thanked the Labour Party for including a commitment on Kashmir in its election manifesto and for trying to shine a light on the issue in the House of Commons.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2018