UK Parliament | Kashmir
India condemns language used against PM Modi in UK parliamentarians' debate on Kashmir
London/IBNS: India has strongly condemned the motion on "Human rights in Kashmir" tabled by the Members of Parliament from the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir in the House of Commons, according to media reports.
The Indian government expressed dismay at some of the language used by participating MPs in the Backbench Debate, specifically Pakistani-origin Labour MP Naz Shah, according to a report in the media.
Indian High Commission in London condemned the attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and highlighted Kashmir's status as an integral part of India.
"It is with sadness that the High Commission of India notes that an august institution of a fellow democracy has been misused today to level abuse against the elected leader of the largest practicing democracy in the world," the Indian High Commission said, referring to Naz Shah's remarks on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
"As on previous occasions, the High Commission of India reiterates that any assertion made in any forum on a subject related to an integral part of India needs to be duly substantiated with authentic verifiable facts," it added.
The debate was scheduled to be held in March 2020 but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was opened by Opposition Labour Party MP Debbie Abrahams who recounted her visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in February 2020.
"The Pakistani government allowed us unfettered access... we used our meetings to ask pointed questions related to human rights issues highlighted in United Nations reports," said Debbie Abrahams.
Over 20 cross-party MPs participated on both sides of the debate.
One of the participating MPs drew the attention of the house towards the terrorist camps harboured by Pakistan in the region and drawing parallels with neighbouring Afghanistan.
"Over the years Pakistan has harboured Taliban leaders and the ISI, their security services, provided other forms of support to them and to other terrorist organisations," he said.
Conservative Party MPs Bob Blackman and Theresa Villiers spoke about how India has acted true to its democratic credentials by completing local elections in Kashmir last December despite pandemic-related challenges.
Reiterating the UK government's unchanged stance on Kashmir as a bilateral issue, the Minister for Asia in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Amanda Milling, said, "The government takes the situation in Kashmir very seriously but it's for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political solution, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It's not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator."
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