Our tax money should also be spent in
Pakistani Administered Kashmir.
Watford, England
22 February 2015
Kashmiri community leaders from
Watford, England met their local Member of Parliament Richard Harrington and
discussed various issues related to Kashmir dispute.
While briefing Kashmir National Party
senior leaders in a meeting held in London office, Abbas Butt, Chairman of KNP
said: ‘We told the MP that we are British Kashmiris and we make a positive
contribution to the British society culturally and economically. We pay tax to
the British government and the British government provide aid to Pakistan for
economic and welfare programmes.
Abbas Butt said we told the MP that,
‘more than 30% of the aid should be spent on welfare and development programmes
in so called Azad Kashmir; and Pakistan can spend the remaining 70% on projects
inside Pakistan.’
MP was further told that, ‘British
aid to Pakistan and India should be linked with their performance on human
rights. It will be sad if tax money of around 1 million British Kashmiris,
mainly from Pakistani Administered Kashmir was to be used to crush our movement
for fundamental rights in Gilgit Baltistan and Pakistani Occupied Kashmir.’
Abbas Butt briefed the KNP meeting
that we told Richard Harrington MP that the UNCIP Resolution of 13 August 1948
provided us three options, namely a right to join India or Pakistan, and to
become an independent country. It is sad that Pakistani government opposed
this; and on Pakistan’s request our right of self determination was limited to
right of accession either to India or Pakistan.
Issue of Maqbool Butt’s mortal remains
was also discussed; and it was pointed out that his family has a right to file
a petition in High Court. It was strange that even after 31 years, despite
politicising the issue of remains why obvious legal course of action was not
taken. Once the legal course is exhausted then people of Jammu and Kashmir can
consider other strategies.
Richard Harington assured his
constituents who belonged to Pakistan and Azad Kashmir that he will raise this
issue with the relevant department and report back to them.
Watford Member of Parliament further
said that, ‘As a Member of Parliament for Watford, I have an obligation to
speak for your rights; and where appropriate, protect interests of all his
constituents. If your families and relatives are harassed and intimidated then
I can raise this issue; however, it will be inappropriate for me to raise
issues regarding Indian Administered Kashmir brought up by you based on social
media or newspapers.’
Richard Harrington further said in
many cases, ‘We Members of Parliament are better informed and have better
access to information. We know what is happening and which government is
responsible for what.’
KNP leaders, Dr Shabir Choudhry, Asim
Mirza and Sarwar Hussain expressed their satisfaction with the meeting with Richard
Harrington MP; and emphasised that we should work out a strategy to reach out
to more MPs and diplomatic missions in Britain.
The KNP leaders also discussed issues
related to JKNIA public meeting regarding Maqbool Butt in Leeds and what
transpired there. After a detailed discussion a strategy was worked out to deal
with issues related to this alliance.
The KNP meeting also discussed about
KNP visit to Geneva and agreed that the KNP delegation should go to Geneva to
take part in the UN Human Rights Session in March.
It was also agreed that KNP as a
constituent part of Jammu Kashmir International People’s Alliance should take
active part in the forthcoming Conference on terrorism in Geneva.
Issued by Dr Shabir Choudhry on
behalf of Kashmir National Party
No comments:
Post a Comment