Tehreek-e-Kashmir, UK, has urged the British government to help end the plight of womenfolk in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Tehreek-e-Kashmir, UK, President Fahim Kayani led a delegation to 10 Downing Street in London where it submitted a petition calling upon the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to hold India accountable for its continued occupation of Kashmir.
British parliamentarians Jess Phillips, Paul Bristow, Afzal Khan, Tahir Ali, Muhammad Yaseen, Lord Qurban Hussain and Sam Tarry besides Councillor Muhammad Aslam, Rayla Javed, Rehana Ali, Tehreek-e-Kashmir, UK, Sabba Chaudhry, student leader and human rights activist, were part of the delegation.
In the meantime, addressing the British Parliament, MP Tahir Ali said that it was vital to talk about women in IIOJK who are being subjected to rape, kidnapping and torture by the Indian Prime Minister Modi’s extremist BJP-led government.
Addressing Rishi Sunak, Tahir Ali asked, “Does the Prime Minister agree with me that the BJP government has exploited women through gender-based violence and does he agree that the UK government should be standing in solidarity with the Kashmiri women?”
Rishi Sunak replied that Britain “has led the way in preventing sexual violence in conflict” regions.
At 10 Downing Street, the delegation while reminding the British government of its responsibility on Kashmir, the petition called upon Rishi Sunak to “raise concern over the plight of the Kashmiri women.”
The UK prime minister, the petition read, was informed how India repeatedly denies allowing international aid to reach occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It is therefore urged upon your office to kindly take up this issue with Indian authorities to allow at least any British aid group to work in Indian occupied Kashmir, the delegation told the British prime minister’s office through the petition.
Addressing Rishi Sunak, the delegation wrote, “It is also requested of your good self to press Indian authorities to allow international legal aid for Kashmiri political prisoners so that they can get justice.”
Pointing out that India has deployed one million military in Muslim-dominated IIOJK, the petition said the everyday actions of Indian occupying forces violate dignity of the Kashmiri womenfolk. “Kashmiri women are survivors of the world’s biggest sexist military, the Indian military,” it added.—KMS
