Islamabad, Feb 15.05 (KMS): A delegation of British Parliamentarians visited the APHC AJK chapter office in Islamabad Monday evening and held a detailed discussion with APHC leaders.
The British delegation including Simon Hughes, MP and President of the Liberal Democrats Party, Don Foster MP, Councillor Ben Jephcott and Qasim Afzal coordinator met the APHC members led by its Convenor Muhammad Farooq Rehmani and General Secretary Muhammad Abdullah Malik and discussed the various aspects of the Kashmir issue and the elements involved in it.
Briefing the delegation, the APHC convener, Mohammad Farooq Rehmani, said, Kashmir presents the world's worst scenario in terms of human rights violations and is the root cause of the basic conflict between the two nuclear neighbours.
Regarding the CBMs, APHC representatives reiterated that exchange of cultural CBM's hold no significance unless the important factors and the CBM's vis-à-vis draconian laws are abolished. "These laws negate the basic freedom rights of the citizens and international community has a great role to play in repealing them," Rehmani maintained.
The two sides also talked about the travel restrictions imposed on the Kashmiri leadership by the Indian authorities. The British delegation took strong exception to restriction by India of Kashmiri leaders' visit abroad.
Regarding the Black Laws, the British delegation stated that all laws and acts should be in accordance with the International Laws and the UN Charter and all such laws conflicting the international norms must be repealed at the earliest.
"Right of Self Determination is the motto of our party (Liberal Democratic Party) and we advocate its upholding throughout the world," the representatives of the British political party said, adding, "We would ask India to help us arrange a visit to the other side of Kashmir and monitor the on-ground situation in there in the same way as we have been briefed on this side especially the LoC."