British MPs urge UK govt to back Kashmiris’ right to self-determination
Lawmakers slam India for rights abuses in IIOJK; seek action on UN plebiscite
London: British lawmakers have called on the United Kingdom to play a more active role in supporting the right to self-determination of the people Jammu and Kashmir, urging London to press India over grave human rights violations in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the lawmakers said this while addressing a debate titled “Kashmir: Self-Determination”, which was held in Westminster Hall and was led by Labour MP Imran Hussain. Imran said the situation in Kashmir constitutes an “urgent human rights crisis” that cannot be ignored.
Imran Hussain told the session that for millions living in IIOJK, the dispute is not an abstract foreign-policy matter but “a lived reality of families torn apart, homes bulldozed, voices silenced and rights denied for generations”. He denounced India’s revocation of the territory’s special status in August 2019 and highlighted communication blockades, mass detentions and demographic engineering in violation of international law.
The Labour MP referred to the 1948 UN resolution mandating a free and fair plebiscite, saying the promise “remains unfulfilled even after seven decades”, while successive UK governments and the international community have failed to ensure Kashmiris’ right to decide their political future by themselves.
Jim Shannon of Strangford condemned India’s “repressive policies”, noting extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions and sexual violence in IIOJK. Gareth Snell, Labour MP from Stoke-on-Trent Central, highlighted the large British-Kashmiri population that continues to demand meaningful political attention to the dispute. Andy McDonald, Labour MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, raised alarm over restrictions on journalists, suppression of free speech and the detention of political leaders in the occupied territory.
Responding to the debate on behalf of the government, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Hamish Falconer reiterated the UK’s traditional stance, stating that London believes “a lasting resolution rests with India and Pakistan, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people”. He said the UK continues to raise concerns with both countries regarding political detentions, restrictions and minority rights.
Falconer acknowledged the deep concern among British-Kashmiris and said the government remains open to engagement with community representatives. He emphasised the need for bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan to settle the dispute.
British Speaker Jeremy Corbyn said that the unresolved Kashmir dispute has forced both Pakistan and India to spend enormous resources on weapons, diverting attention from human development in the territory. Addressing the Westminster Hall session, he stressed that Kashmiris must be granted their right to self-determination, noting that if referendums could be held for Scotland’s independence and for Brexit, there is no justification for denying the same democratic right to the people of Kashmir.
Assembly Speaker David Williams added that the world must take concrete steps to resolve the lingering dispute.
Lawmakers stressed that ongoing repression in IIOJK demands urgent international attention and that the right to self-determination—enshrined in UN resolutions—must be upheld for millions of oppressed Kashmiris.
The special session, convened by Labour MP Imran Hussain, also urged the British government to adopt a more proactive role in addressing the Kashmir issue. KMS-3K
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