People living along LoC worst victims of Indian state terrorism: UK MP

UK must revisit its policy of bilateralism as it has failed to provide solution to Kashmir issue, says Afzal Khan

BIRMINGHAM:

Shadow Minister UK and Member of Parliament Afzal Khan has said that people living along the Line of Control (LoC) are worst victims of Indian state terrorism and it is surprising why occupation forces targeted civilians on the eve of Diwali festival.

"Diwali is the festival of lights but not to set the houses of innocent civilians living along the LoC on fire to celebrate Diwali which is inhuman and naked aggression from the Indian side," he said during an all-party conference (APC) organised by the Tehreek-e-Kashmir (TeK) following the Indian troops' indiscriminate heavy shelling on the civilians residing along the LoC, killing six people and injuring more than 30 others.

In the Indian shelling on civilians, livestock and houses worth millions of rupees were destroyed. Representatives of all UK political parties and human rights groups participated in the APC.

"The international community must come forward to save the lives and properties of the people living close to the LoC. Targeting unarmed civilians is the worst kind of human rights violation and we will continue to raise the issue of human rights abuses committed by the Indian army,” Khan added.

He said that it is time for the world powers to fulfil the promise of right to self-determination with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The UK parliamentarian said that recent incident along the LoC must be condemned. "All British-Pakistanis and Kashmiris must ask their MPs to write to the Foreign Secretary for holding the Indian government accountable in grave humanitarian situation in IIOJK and recent atrocities along the LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)."

He further said that the UK government must revisit its policy of bilateralism as it has failed to provide a long-lasting solution which is enshrined in the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir.

TeK UK President Fahim Kayani said that he was saddened to hear that British citizen Consular Mushtaq Mughal's house was destroyed by the Indian army's cross-border shelling. "The UK Foreign Office should take action against the destruction of the house of its British citizen and raise this matter on an urgent basis with the Indian government."

Kayani went on to say that the purpose of APC was to adopt a coordinated approach to expose Indian atrocities in IIOJK and along the LoC. “Now we must demand British and European parliaments to impose economical sanctions on India. India thinks that it is the fastest growing economy and can get away with any kind of human rights violations committed by its occupational troops in IIOJK. Indian armed forces have no respect for humanity even they targeted schoolchildren along the LoC. How can the world keep quiet to this because all children are equal."

TeK Europe President Muhammad Ghalib, Convenor Labour Friends of Kashmir, former mayor Consular Mehbob Bhatti Conservative Friends of Kashmir Shaffaq Mahmood, former MEP Lib Dem Friends of Kashmir, Consular Altaf former mayor Oxford, Consular Ch Qaiser former mayor Chesham,Consular Javeria Hussain, Consular Sardar Asif Khan former mayor Watford, Consular Dr Zaffar Iqbal, Consular Mushtaq Mughal, Muhammad Riaz President TeK Germany, Nasir Muslim President TeK Spain, Mian Tayyab Vice President TeK Europe, Farooq Baig Secretary General TeK Germany, Khalid Mehmood Unite For Kashmir, Shah Hussain Kazmi President TeK Norway, Rehani Ali Information Secretary TeK UK, Consular Bidwel Let Kashmir Decide, Farid Uddin Lodhi President TeK UK Midlands Zone, Munir Hussain Hashmi, Hanif Chowhan, Shafiq Kamboh, Inamul Haq Nomi PTI, Bashir Ratvi Muslim Conference, Ch Zahid Iqbal TeK UK, Aqdis Mughal Jamaat-e-Islami AJK UK, Sardar Aftab Ahmed Vice President TeK UK, Rani Arif PTI, Muhammad Shafiq TeK Spain, Ishtiaq Ahmed President TeK Leeds, Nazir Waza Kashmir Movement Europe, Muzamil Ayub Takhur Chairman WKFM, Zubeda Begum Chairperson daughters of Kashmir, Ch Jabran anchor Takbeer, Waqas Khan and Munir Hussain Qureshi unanimously condemned the Indian firing along the LoC and demanded permanent ceasefire aimed at saving the lives of inhabitants living on the 750 kilometres long LoC.