Dear Imran Hussain MP / Would You Accept in Britain What You Defend in Kashmir?
By Safina Khan
From the comfort of Westminster, it is easy to sign letters, issue statements and lecture others about democracy.
What is far more difficult is explaining to the people of Azad Kashmir why their suffering appears invisible to British politicians who claim to be standing up for their rights.
Imran Hussain MP and more than thirty parliamentarians have chosen to speak loudly about events in AK that is their right.
But before they appoint themselves as judges of Kashmir’s affairs, they should answer one simple question.
Would they tolerate in Britain the same tactics they appear willing to excuse in Kashmir?
If roads across London were blocked for days, if businesses were forced to shut their doors, if children were prevented from attending school, if hospitals faced disruption, if public property was damaged and if police officers came under attack, would these MPs celebrate such actions as democratic activism?
Or would they demand immediate intervention from the authorities?
The people of Kashmir deserve an answer because many ordinary Kashmiris are beginning to see a troubling double standard, one set of rules for Britain and another for Kashmir.
When disruption happens in the UK, politicians speak about public safety, law and order and protecting communities.
When disruption happens in Kashmir some of those same politicians suddenly speak only about the rights of activists while remaining silent about the rights of millions of ordinary citizens affected by the chaos.
- Human rights do not belong exclusively to protesters.
- They also belong to shopkeepers trying to earn a living.
- They belong to students preparing for examinations.
- They belong to patients trying to reach hospitals.
- They belong to tourists whose livelihoods support entire communities.
They belong to law enforcement officers tasked with maintaining public order and they belong to every voter who wants political disputes resolved through democratic institutions rather than through pressure, intimidation and endless shutdowns.
- The people of Azad Kashmir are not asking for special treatment.
- They are asking for consistency.
If a tactic is unacceptable in Bradford, Birmingham or London, it should not suddenly become acceptable in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur or Rawalakot.
Democracy cannot survive on double standards and Kashmir deserves better than selective outrage from politicians thousands of miles away who appear more interested in amplifying one narrative than understanding the full reality on the ground.
