Activist Shabir Choudhry expresses discontent on UK lawmaker's silence over rights abuses in PoK
Sep 20, 2020
London [UK], September 20 : A political activist from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Shabir Choudhry has expressed discontent over UK's Labour MP Debbie Abrahams' 'silence' on the recent attack on peaceful protesters by Pakistani consulate in Bradford officials and human rights abuses taking place in the PoK.
Choudhry, earlier this month, wrote to Abrahams, Chairperson All Parties Parliamentary Group (APPG), urging her to take appropriate action to ensure the release of an innocent British man, Tanveer Ahmed, who is facing the wrath of the Pakistani secret agencies. He also pointed out that peaceful protestors were harassed and intimidated outside the Pakistani Consulate in Bradford.
The activist said he expected Abrahams will show "keen interest" in safeguarding fundamental rights of the British citizen languishing in the jail in the Pok but she did not "not even care to reply or acknowledge the letter". In a letter addressed to Abrahams, Choudhry said: "Your attitude and astonishing silence indicates your lack of interest about the plight of Tanveer Ahmed, and human rights abuses taking place in Gilgit Baltistan."
"I wrote to you on the above topic on 9 September 2020 and expected you to take appropriate action to get the release of this innocent British man who is facing the wrath of the Pakistani secret agencies. You did not even care to reply, or acknowledge the letter," the letter read.
"Also, I expected you and the APPG to support the right of expression and the right to a peaceful protest of all citizens of Jammu and Kashmir in Britain. In my letter, I pointed out that peaceful protestors were harassed and intimidated outside the Pakistani Consulate in Bradford. The protesters believe that some officials of the Pakistani Consulate were behind this," it added.
In the last letter, the activist mentioned that a peaceful demonstration, which was called in support of British citizen Tanveer Ahmed, outside Pakistani Consulate in Bradford was interrupted by some 'trouble makers' and Pakistan supporters.
Tanveer was tortured and arrested after he removed Pakistani flag from Dadyal in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on August 14.
