LONDON A seminar organised by the Pakistan High Commission in the United Kingdom on 5 February clearly demonstrated the significant support Kashmir issue is receiving and the level of interest generated for the cause in capital London. A large number of members from the British parliament, eminent scholars, academics, legal experts, members of the civil society and British Kashmiris were present at the seminar to express their support for the oppressed Kashmiri nation. High Commissioner Nafees Zakaria has been proactively reaching out to political leadership of the UK and cross-section of the British society to create awareness about the humanitarian crisis and garner support for the Kashmiris who are living under siege since August 5 last year. The participants brought out an outcome document of the seminar based on their review of the human rights situation in Indian occupied Kashmir. They noted with concern the grave human rights abuses, inaction of the UN to resolve the dispute, long trail of human rights violations including massacres, mass rapes, mass blindings and enforced disappearances in the occupied territory. Serious concerns were raised on siege of more than eight million Kashmiris since 5 August, who are cut off from the outside world due to a communication blackout and have no access to the media or to human rights organizations. The participants called for immediate and unconditional lifting of siege and revocation of the unilateral measures of past August, international community’s immediate intervention to ensure delivery of justice to the Kashmiri victims and the resolution of the Kashmir dispute on a priority basis in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions. The document is being termed a tangible achievement of High Commissioner Zakaria, who was posted as High Commissioner in London in January 2019 and his first major event was holding Kashmir Solidarity Day conference at the British parliament with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi as the chief guest. Since then, the High Commissioner has organised a large number of literary talks and photographic exhibitions highlighting the plight of the Kashmiri victims of Indian atrocities. The Kashmir issue has also been discussed in the British parliament an unprecedented number of times. Zakaria has been reaching out to masses through his interviews on British television channels as well.—APP
