Fighting for human rights in Kashmir

Every human being should be entitled to the ability to protest for equal rights. Unfortunately, this basic human right is being oppressed in the region of Kashmir in Pakistan. Simple protests over the cost of electricity and flour have turned into violence, unjust arrests, and a region wide blackout. Even with the region’s people having been cut off from the internet and phone network it has been reported that about 200 people have been killed. Who knows what that number could reach when the people gain access again.  

With Woking’s large Asian population, over 50% have ancestral links to Kashmir. I have been contacted frequently by many of the people about their fears and concerns - that is why I have joined my fellow MPs in signing a letter to the Foreign Secretary to address these injustices. 

Not only is this affecting many of the residents of Woking, but this situation is something that I believe is my duty to speak out against - not only as the MP for Woking, but as a human being. It is vital that peace is found in the Kashmir region for the safety of the people of Kashmir and for the friends and family here in Woking that are worried about their loved ones.   

I have used my platform to address these injustices and put pressure on the Government to help resolve these issues. I started by reminding the Government of its moral responsibility to help ensure a free and democratic election. This would allow the Kashmiri people to choose their own governance, and put their human rights front and centre. 

Upon being pressured the Government has claimed that it is up to India and Pakistan to find a peaceful solution. I have pushed back against this policy by questioning its effectiveness. Britain has maintained this neutrality since the conflict began almost 80 years ago and almost nothing has changed. That is longer than many of us have been alive! Surely, that must mean it has been an ineffective strategy.  

By maintaining neutrality we have been complacent in the injustices that have plagued the region of Kashmir. I urge the Government to engage in diplomatic dialogue with the Pakistan Government to help bring an end to this conflict. It is our duty to ensure the safety, freedom, and rights of the Kashmiri people - while it is my duty to soothe the worries of those in Woking who fear for their loved ones.  

Watch me speak about this in Parliament.