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FILE PHOTO: UK Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer
THE British government has reaffirmed its long-standing position on Kashmir, saying it is for India and Pakistan to resolve the issue, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. The statement was made during a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament this week.
Hamish Falconer, a minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), set out the government’s position during the debate titled ‘Kashmir: Self-determination’, which was secured by Labour MP Imran Hussain.
Hussain, the MP for Bradford East, which has a large British Pakistani population, asked whether the government views Kashmir as a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan or as an international matter.
“I reaffirm the UK government’s long-standing position on Kashmir, which is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting solution, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” Falconer said.
He added that this approach reflects the UK’s belief in diplomacy and respect for human rights.
Falconer noted that the debate marked the fourth parliamentary discussion on Kashmir in the the country this year.
He told MPs that Kashmir remains a sensitive issue in South Asia and a source of tension between India and Pakistan, both of which are nuclear-armed states. He said the dispute has lasted for decades and continues to shape the region’s security situation.
Falconer said the UK maintains a neutral position and continues to urge dialogue and respect for human rights.
Labour MP Barry Gardiner raised concerns about cross-border terrorism in the region. He said that many terrorist camps are based in Pakistan and in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
He cited figures from the South Asia Terrorism Portal, which lists 42 identified training camps in Pakistan and 21 in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Gardiner said the UK could press Pakistan to close these camps.
In response, Falconer said it was a serious problem that countries in South Asia believe their neighbours are hosting groups that threaten their security.
“The UK seeks to help on this issue,” he said, adding that it has contributed to recent strains in relations in the region.
Former prime minister Jeremy Corbyn was among Labour MPs who called for United Nations involvement on the issue of Kashmiri self-determination.
Falconer responded that India and Pakistan have held differing views at various times on whether UN involvement is helpful. He repeated the UK government’s position that dialogue between India and Pakistan is the way forward.
(PTI)
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