President AJK seeks British premier’s role in resolution of Kashmir dispute

London(PID, AJK) President Azad Kashmir Barrister Mehmood Chaudhry on Friday presented a memorandum to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging him to use his political and diplomatic clout to resolve the lingering dispute in line with Kashmiris’ wishes and aspirations.

Seeking an early and amicable settlement of the long pending dispute, the AJK president asked the British premier to influence the government of Indian to grant Kashmiris their promised right, the right to self-determination, put an immediate end to the human rights violations and help secure early release of Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Muhammad Yasin Malik who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison by an Indian court recently.

The AJK president was accompanied by Lord Qurban Hussain and members of the British parliament including Mirza Khalid Mahmood, Azad Imran Hussain, Raja Yaseen, Jess Phillips and Paul Bristow.

Later, talking to local and international media, Barrister Chaudhry said that given the UK’s role in world politics the British government can play an important role in the resolution of the Kashmir issue. Underling the British government’s responsibilities vi-a-vis the resolution of Kashmir dispute, the president said that it was incumbent upon the government of the UK to stop bloodshed and violence in the restive region because the dispute is the legacy of partition that accompanied Britain’s withdrawal from the Indian subcontinent after the end of its 200-year role.

“I, therefore, urge the UK to play a role in giving the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination”, he said.

The president said that during his visit he has presented Kashmiris’ case at different forums of the country. “I’m optimistic that the people and the government of the United Kingdom will play their role so that the people of Kashmir can exercise their right to self-determination”, he added.

Addressing a reception hosted in his honour by the President of Kashmir Peace Forum, Chaudhry Dilpazeer and others, Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhary said that the Kashmiri expatriate community should become a voice for the voiceless people of the Indian occupied Kashmir.

The reception was also attended by the Mayor of Losham Tauseef Anwar and the leader of Waltham Stowe Raja Ahsan Khan.