Leader of U.K.’s opposition Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn has called for resolving the situation in Kashmir through relevant UN resolutions. In a social media message, Mr. Corbyn has asked for protecting the rights of the Kashmiri people.
“The situation in Kashmir is deeply disturbing. Human rights abuses taking place are unacceptable. The rights of the Kashmiri people must be respected and UN resolutions implemented,” the Labour leader posted on Twitter. Mr Corbyn’s statement drew strong comments from Indian-origin citizens in the U.K. who said he was displaying an “anti-India problem”.
The Labour leader’s tweet came after several Labour MPs have spoken out against the communication blackout in Kashmir and the ending of the special status by India.
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Labour MP Liz McInnes was among the first to protest immediately after India changed the status of Kashmir, bifurcated the region and created two territories under the control of the union government of India. Ms McInnes had asked Foreign Secretary Dominik Rab to “do everything within his power to deescalate this tense and threatening situation.”
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The concerns expressed by Labour MPs prompted Conservative MP Bob Blackman to write to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the situation in Kashmir.
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According to the UN Security Council Resolution 47 adopted on April 21, 1948, both India and Pakistan were asked to resolve the crisis through a multi-step process. Accordingly, Pakistan was to withdraw all its nationals from the territory under its control and India was to reduce forces in its part of Kashmir which was to be followed by a plebiscite. The U.K. has traditionally maintained that Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan. Mr Corbyn's comments seem to indicate a changing trend within U.K.'s political class towards the dispute.