Imran Khan Dials Jeremy Corbyn Days After UK’s Labour Party Passes Resolution On Kashmir

Days after UK’s Labour party passed a resolution on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan dialled its leader Jeremy Corbyn. Labour Party, which is UK’s main opposition party had passed an emergency motion on Kashmir calling for party leader Jeremy Corbyn to seek international observers to “enter” the region and demand the right of self-determination for its people. 

Corbyn said after speaking to Khan: “On a call with Pakistan PM Imran Khan I listened to his concerns about the situation in Kashmir, including the ongoing curfew. The UN has a vital role in ensuring dialogue between India and Pakistan. Any political resolution must uphold the human rights of the Kashmiri people”.

Describing it an attempt at “pandering to vote-bank interests”, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in an official statement said, “There is no question of engaging with the Labour Party or its representatives on this issue.” 

The resolution comes in contrast with the British government’s official stand on Kashmir which considers it a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. The resolution tabled at the Labour Party’s annual party conference calls for intervention by its leader Jeremy Corbyn to ensure party’s representation at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the issue.

However, it drew criticism from the representatives of the Indian diaspora as they described it as ‘ill conceived’ and ‘misinformed’. 

Imran Khan during his maiden UNGA address on Friday, warned of dire "consequences" in the event of a nuclear war with India over the Kashmir issue. "If a conventional war starts between the two countries anything could happen. A country seven times smaller than its neighbour what will it do - either surrender or fight for its freedom," he had said in his maiden address to the UN General Assembly.

"My belief is we will fight and when a nuclear-armed country fights till the end it will consequence far beyond the borders. I am warning you. It's not a threat but worry about where are we heading. If this goes wrong you hope for the best but prepare for the worst," Khan had said.