Kashmir : Right to Self Determination Day Conference in Birmingham

Time for UN to act on Kashmir, else it will meet fate of League of Nations: Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK

Birmingham  – The United Nations must fulfil its obligations by intervening in conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir else the world body will meet the fate of League of Nations, said Fahim Kayani, president of Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK.

Addressing a conference to mark right to self-determination day in favour of people of Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIoJK), Kashmiri diaspora leaders also urged Pakistan to sustain its effort to break the newly imposed status quo on IIoJK by India.

“The mandate with which the UN was formed was to ensure world peace and if there is any grave threat to world peace, it is due to non-resolution of Kashmir dispute, especially because of non-action by the United Nations,” Kayani told a one-day conference — Why January 5, 1949 is important in the history of Kashmir freedom struggle — in Birmingham.

This conference was held to mark January 05 as Day of Right to Self-determination of Kashmiris as on this day in 1949 the UN passed resolution which said: “The question of accession of the State of Jammu & Kashmir to India or Pakistan will be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite.”

Lamenting inaction by the world body, Kayani said the failure of the League of Nations to avert World War II resulted in its death.

“It was failure of the League of Nations to avoid harm to world peace that resulted in the UN and today, when three nuclear powers are head-to-head against each other in IIoJK, the UN must wake up and save the world from a big disaster which can unfold any time,” Kayani said, referring to India whose nuclear assets are in RSS-led Hindu fascist thus posing danger to the world peace.

The Tehreek-e-Kashmir president said Jan. 05, 1949 resolution is bed rock of the freedom struggle in IIoJK as “this resolution supersedes any domestic legal change brought by India.”

“The unilateral and illegal actions by Indian fascist regime has no bearing on the UN resolutions rather India is the big violator of international conventions and resolutions on Kashmir,” he said.

“But the question is why is UN silent” Kayani asked, urging the international community to halt ongoing genocide committed by India in IIoJK.

Afzal Khan MP, Shadow Minster for Justice told the conference that IIoJK has turned into the highest concentration militarize zone in the world.

“There are 3 nuclear powers in dispute, who have gone to war,” he said referring to 1962 Sino-Indo conflict and India-Pakistan wars.

“In 21th century, this is an unacceptable colonial behaviour,” he said regarding India’s occupation of Kashmir.

The British lawmaker said India had brought radical change sin IIoJK since August 05, 2019

“There is the responsibility of the international community to be the voice of the oppressed people. Sadly, due to Geo politics and weakness in current UN set up no progress has been made,” Khan told the conference.

He added: “There is a renewed hope that the US can now a play role in brokering peace in the region, following President Biden’s election.” Khan said the European Union is an important body which has a good record on Human rights/peace and against poverty.

Regarding 16 British MEPs letter, he said, “we hope these words are followed by tangible action and that the voices of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters in the US /EU/UK are heard.”

“I also do think that there is great potential for multi-lateral efforts between the UK, EU and the US to bring all sides together and is something which I would be very keen to explore,” he added.

Andrew Gwynne MP, Chair of Labour Friends of Kashmir, said in his message that the right to self-determination as “the most fundamental human right, from which all other rights flow.”

“This is a right denied to Kashmiris for too many generations,” he said.

“We need the international community to now come together and make good on that promise.”

James Daly MP, Chair of Conservative Friends of Kashmir said the actions taken by Indian on Aug. 05, 2019 “constitute a violation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir and bilateral Pakistan-India agreements, such as the 1972 Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.”

“India’s unilateral decision to revoke Article 370 of its constitution on August 5th 2019 has severely hampered the chances of a renewed peace between the two nuclear power nations,” said Daly in his message to commemorate the right to self-determination day for Kashmiris.

“India now has a choice. It can continue with the lockdown and curfew or support peace in Kashmir. For me, the most disturbing aspect in Indian-administered Kashmir is the human rights violations, which have not only devastated the region, but also severely tainted India’s image as the world’s largest democracy,” he said, calling on New Delhi to “end the curfew and focus its attention on preserving human rights, implementing the rule of law and economic development.”

Muhammad Ghalib, President of Tehreek-e-Kashmir Europe, said it was important to keep Kashmir into mainstream media.

“Use of media and getting mainstream write and telecast programs about Kashmir is the most important issue,” said Ghalib.

Qamar Abbas Raja president TeK Birmingham, Khawajah Muhammad Suleman founding member TeK UK, Mufti Abdul Majeed Nadeem vice president TeK UK, Shabir Hussain senior leader TeK UK,Ch Ikram ul Haq sec gen TeK Birmingham,  Mushtaq Hussain vice president TeK  Birmimgham, Kashmir Munir assistant sec gen TeK Birmingham  ,Yasin Badar vice president TeK UK and Basharat Ali information sec TeK Birmingham also condemned human rights violations in Indian occupied of Kashmir and demanded that the UN must play its role in implementing its resolution on Kashmir.