ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has said that India is involved in the genocide of Muslims, persecution and suppression of minorities, burning and destroying churches in Manipur, and extra-judicial killings of leaders of minority communities regionally and internationally.

The president was talking to a delegation UK’s members of parliament, who called on President Alvi at the Aiwan-i-Sadr on Thursday, says a press release issued by the presidency. Representatives of Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora in the UK also attended the meeting.

The president and members of the UK’s parliament expressed deep concern over the human rights violations in India-held Kashmir and the persecution of minorities in India.

The British parliament’s delegation was led by Shadow Minister Andrew Gwynne. The meeting stressed the need for action by the international community to put pressure on India to stop its human rights abuses in India-held Kashmir.

The president told the UK team that the psyche of India was changing as it had been influenced by the extremist Hindutva ideology, which aimed to marginalise minorities, particularly the Muslims.

The president said that Pakistan was committed to safeguarding the rights of its minorities and it always took prompt action if any injustice was done to them.

Dr Alvi also mentioned India’s efforts to change the demographic structure of India-held Kashmir in order to turn the Kashmiris into a minority on their own land.

He urged the world to put pressure on India to reverse its illegal demographic changes in occupied Kashmir.

UK Shadow Minister Andrew Gwynne on his part expressed grave concern over the human rights violations and denial of rights to the people of India-held Kashmir.

“The torture and brutalities being committed by India are unacceptable,” the UK minister was quoted as saying by the press release.

Gwynne mentioned the support for the Kashmiri cause in the British parliament and underscored the need for putting pressure on India to hold plebiscite in India-held Kashmir to grant the people of Jammu and Kashmir their right to self-determination.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2023