London, August 06, 2019 (PPI-OT): Members of British Parliament, Paula Sherriff and Muhammad Yasin, have expressed serious concern over Indian Government’s move of repealing Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution. MP Paula Sherriff in a letter to the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Dominic Raab, wrote that the removal of Articles 370 and 35-A from the Indian Constitution, which give special status to Jammu and Kashmir and privileges to the residents of the territory, and the suppression of Kashmiris, was a disgraceful move which was undermining the autonomy of Kashmir and the rights of its people.
Moreover, she wrote, the Indian Army’s use of weaponry in Kashmir, including the banned cluster bombs, is incredibly concerning. Tensions are now being escalated and the prospect of a peaceful transition to self-determination for Kashmir seems ever more under threat, she added.
Paula Sherriff MP for Dewsbury stated in the letter that it is vital that, as a nation on the world stage, we use our influence to fight for the peace and human rights across the globe. Hereby, as the Member of the Parliament for Dewsbury, and on behalf of many worried constituents, I urge you to make strong representations to the Indian government on this issue, she wrote.
“The rights and self-determination of the people of Kashmir is of principal importance to many of my residents. I hope that you will represent them,” she concluded.
Muhammad Yasin, MP for Bedford and Kempston, in his letter to Dominic Raab sought the details about discussions of the members of Foreign and Commonwealth Office with their counterparts in India following reports that the BJP-led government was revoking the Article 370, which has been the basis of Kashmir’s complex relationship with India for some 70 years.
He said that India’s decision to repeal Article 370 after seven decades had sent shockwaves around the world and was a very serious development given the already severe tensions in the region. He said that since Friday, the Indian government had moved tens of thousands of troops into Kashmir in addition to 700,000 occupational forces and placed heavy restrictions on its seven million residents. He said, there have been numerous reports that political leaders have been placed under house arrest and cluster ammunition used against civilians.
As I write, Indian occupied Kashmir remains in a state of lockdown with schools and shops closed and telephone and internet networks cut off, he maintained. Jammu and Kashmir remain an internationally-recognized disputed territory and the actions of Narendra Modi are illegal under United Nations Security Council resolutions, he said. “The British Government has an historic responsibility in the region following partition in 1947 and I urge you to do anything in your power to mediate to de-escalate tensions and prevent further civil unrest. As you know, many British citizens have strong family links to Kashmir, yet the Foreign office has so far remained silent on this significant issue. I urge you to issue a statement condemning the actions of Prime Minister Modi,” he added.
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