Political activists from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) have supported the renewed stand of Labour Party leader Kier Starmer on Kashmir.
The Labour Party leader, while speaking to Friends of India said, "Any constitutional issues in India are a matter of the Indian Parliament and Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan which need to resolve peacefully."
Shabir Choudhry, President, Foreign Affairs Committee of United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) and Usman Kay, President of UKPNP, said in a joint statement, "Labour Party is an important political Party of Britain and they formulate policies that suit their Party and national interests and that doesn't have to be in consonant with our wishes."
The UKPNP leaders said that the above statement has annoyed some sections of the Jammu and Kashmir. However, non-Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as other Muslims have welcomed this statement.
They said, "People have a right to comment on any political issue; and we cannot deny anyone of that right. However, we should not give this impression that Kier Starmer's statement has made Jammu and Kashmir a "bilateral issue".
"Although we say, we are the principal party to the dispute, but the bitter fact is that Jammu and Kashmir dispute has always been dealt as a dispute between India and Pakistan. We should criticise those who have made this dispute a bilateral one," The joint statement read.
UKPNP leaders emphasised that while using our right of expression we need to ensure that we do not promote extremism, intolerance and religious hatred; and antagonize South Asian communities in Britain.
"In this context, we agree with the Labour leader that we must not allow issues of the sub-continent to divide communities here," they added.
PoK and Gilgit Baltistan, which are part of erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, remain under Pakistan's illegal occupation since 1947. The land is misused by the Pakist establishment to promote terrorism and mislead the youth from Jammu and Kashmir in the name of religion.
( With inputs from ANI )