A month after the Indian government extended the ban on the ‘Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF)’, a sitting UK Parliamentarian named Rachel Hopkins met a leader of the Islamist terror outfit on Monday (15th April).
Hopkins is a member of the anti-India Labour Party in the United Kingdom and a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Lutton South constituency.
She had been advocating for the release of Yasin Malik, a pro-Pakistani separatist who terrorised Kashmiri Hindus and killed four Indian Air Force officers. Hopkins’ unwavering support for Malik comes despite his terror links and involvement in the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits.
In this regard, the Labour Party MP had met JKLF terrorist Zafar Khan to learn about the trial and appeal against the supposed ‘death sentence’ awarded to Yasin Malik.
It must be mentioned that in May 2022, the JKLF supremo was convicted by a National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on charges of terrorism. Yasin Malik pleaded guilty to the charges and was awarded life in prison. In this way, he tactfully avoided the death penalty.
Although the NIA has sought the death penalty for Yasin Malik for waging war against the Government of India, the hearing in the case was postponed by the Delhi court in February this year.
As such, there is no death sentence against the JKLF terrorist as alleged by Rachel Hopkins. The Labour MP was seen repeating Pakistani talking points on the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I continue to stand up for #Kashmiris & their right to self-determination,” she continued to interfere in the internal matter of India.
A year after the abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Rachel Hopkins left no stone unturned to incite the British government against India.
“On the 5th of August, it will be one year since the Indian government revoked Article 370. The people of Jammu and Kashmir were locked down, human rights attacked and subsequent violence has resulted in many deaths,” she claimed.
“…The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is of urgent importance to many of my constituents in Luton South and other members. Will the Leader ensure that time is found early in September for a debate on human rights abuses in the region?” Hopkins had pleaded.
Labour Party and its vote bank interests
On 25th September 2019, the Labour Party in the UK passed a unanimous motion on Kashmir at their party conference in Brighton.
The motion stated that Kashmir should be given the right of self-determination as per UN resolutions and urged the Labour party to ‘stand with Kashmiris fighting against occupation’.
British Pakistani Uzma Rasool submitted the motion. In her speech, Rasool claimed that Kashmir has seen ’72 years of human rights violation’, gang rapes and mass rapes by the Indian Army, and pellet gun injuries.
It must be mentioned that notable Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had earlier made his anti-India stand clear on the issue. In a tweet, Corbyn had claimed that there weew human rights abuses taking place in Kashmir.