British MP makes impassioned plea for Kashmir.

LONDON -- A member of parliament from the Labour party this week made a moving speech in Westminster Hall, where parliament witnessed a discussion on the situation in occupied Kashmir.

'I'm sure that at some stage we have caught ourselves moaning about lockdown, but for the people of Kashmir, it's not something new. And unlike Kashmir, lockdown is not about safety, it is about control,' MP Sarah Owens said to fellow parliamentarians in a debate that was live-streamed on Wednesday.

'The lockdown of 2019 shut off entire communities and also their communication to the outside world. Families worried about loved ones. Students studying in Luton, unable to get their fees paid from [occupied] Kashmir, because banking ceased. Curfews [imposed] to control people's lives, not a virus. A lockdown enforced by half a million soldiers.'

MP Sarah Owens is from Luton North, a constituency which has a significant number of British Pakistanis. The Pakistan diaspora across the United Kingdom has played a significant role in highlighting the plight of people living under Indian occupation in Kashmir, especially since August 2019 when the Narendra Modi-led government illegally stripped the valley of its special status.

British Pakistanis, many of whom have family in both Azad Jammu and Kashmir and in the disputed territory, have protested the Indian government's move by writing letters to MPs, staging demonstrations and posting on social media.

Labour party's Sarah Owens urges UK govt to take a position against Kashmir's illegal annexation

Ms Owens has been a vocal supporter of the Kashmiri people and has in the past expressed solidarity with those living under occupation. This week she highlighted how the pandemic has affected the everyday realities of Kashmiris.

'Muslims have reported being turned away from hospitals. This is shocking at the best of times, but especially so during a pandemic,' she said, adding: 'There are numerous reports of Kashmiri women and girls being raped. Senior officials in the BJP put on record their intentions to make Kashmiri women a part of this conflict. And I have heard [that there...

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