Imran Hussain MP: speeches

Speeches

• 7 Jul 2026 · Human Rights in Kashmir · Hansard source

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  I will give way, but I ask hon. Members to be extremely brief in their interventions because I have a substantial contribution to make.

• 7 Jul 2026 · Human Rights in Kashmir · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I shall come to his point shortly. For over 1 million British Kashmiris, more than 50,000 of whom demonstrated on the streets of London over the weekend, this is not a distant foreign policy issue. These are their parents, brothers and sisters—their families—and they have been worried sick, staring at silent phones waiting for a call that does not come and hoping that people they love are safe.

• 7 Jul 2026 · Human Rights in Kashmir · Hansard source

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  I will take the intervention from my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Dr Gardner), who may make a similar point.

• 7 Jul 2026 · Human Rights in Kashmir · Hansard source

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  I thank all Members who have taken part in this very important debate. Our constituents will no doubt have listened to all the contributions. May I briefly address the age-old policy that this is a bilateral issue? Let us be absolutely clear in this Chamber that this is an international issue that stems from international law and the birthright of Kashmiris under international law. We in this place have a moral, historical and legal duty, and it is about time we developed the moral courage to execute that moral duty. I am very grateful to my hon. Friend the Minister who responded to the debate today, but also to the Minister for the Middle East and Pakistan. He has kept me regularly updated, has visited Pakistan during this period and has assured me that he continues to monitor the situation, relay the concerns of this House and make sure that we push and press towards a peaceful resolution. I will make this point to the Government again: over 70 parliamentarians now support the call of the all-party parliamentary group—I am grateful to them—and I hope the Government have heard that call clearly. We will not stop. We will continue that campaign, and more parliamentarians will join it. To go to the root of it, I again urge our Government to continue to use every diplomatic lever to press the Governments of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir to immediately end the lockdown; to immediately restore all communications; to immediately allow full access to food and, in particular, medical supplies; to allow access to mediators and human rights organisations; and finally, to immediately resume peaceful table talks, at the heart of which must remain the inalienable human rights of Kashmiris. Question put and agreed to . Resolved, That this House has considered Government support for human rights in Kashmir.