THE UK’s Kashmiri community needs to come together if it wants to assert more influence on politicians, according to a Bradford MP.
MPs from Bradford’s three parliamentary wards have been handed a petition signed by over 5,000 Bradford Kashmiris, calling for a debate in Parliament about human rights abuses in the disputed territory between India and Pakistan.
The petition was handed to Bradford East MP David Ward (Lib Dem) at a meeting with representatives of different Kashmiri groups.
He congratulated them on the petition saying they deserved MPs’ support, but said Kashmir was recently discussed by MPs and so a new debate was unlikely any time soon.
He added: “With the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign there is a single group that highlights issues and raises awareness. That is a model you should look to emulate if at all possible.
“It makes sense for all the different Kashmiri groups to work together.”
He said any involvement by MPs should be after May’s election, so the issue did not become a party political one.
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