Lord Dholakia, the Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader in the House of Lords, hosted Friends of India Dinner on September 21 at the Indian Ocean Restaurant in Bournemouth during the Liberal Democrat party conference.

The dinner was attended by the Indian High Commissioner, Excellency Mr. Nalin Surie, and the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, as well as many peers, MPs and councillors.

The Liberal Democrat Friends of India exists primarily to learn more about the functioning of the Indian democratic system, to promote stronger Indo-UK relations and to foster closer ties between the peoples of the two countries.

Commenting on the evening Dholakia said, 'The Liberal Democrats Friends of India is an important forum for the Liberal Democrats to promote the friendship that exists between India and Britain. The dinner in Bournemouth shows that the group is going from strength to strength and continues to be meaningful part of the dialogue between the two countries, both within the Liberal Democrats and beyond.'

Gilgit-Baltistan package

Picketing Kashmiris pour out their hearts

London: Kashmiri nationalist parties who demand unification and independence of Jammu and Kashmir held a picketing outside Pakistani High Commission in London. Despite wet weather a large number of Kashmiris gathered outside the high commission shouting pro-Kashmir slogans and demanding that Pakistan must not annex Gilgit- Baltistan as it will lead to serious problems for Islamabad.

People of Jammu and Kashmir have so far been keen on speaking against Indian role in Jammu and Kashmir and demonstrating against India but it looks like the tide has turned. Kashmiris have seen the true intentions of Pakistan and feel no hesitation in standing outside its high commission to shout 'Pakistani forces out of Kashmir'. Pakistan ka jo yaar hai  ghadaar hai, ghadaar hai, Ilaaq ka jo yaar hai ghadaar hai (who so ever is a friend of Pakistan is a traitor….who so ever is for accession is a traitor).

Demonstrators also shouted against New Delhi demanding that India should also leave Kashmir and that Jammu and Kashmir should become an independent country. It was a big demonstration when compared to demonstrations of Kashmiris and Pakistanis held in London over the past few years; and people travelled from various towns to express their anger and disapproval of what Pakistan was doing in Gilgit and Baltistan and in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

It was interesting to note that some pro-Pakistan Kashmiris were also present to show their support for this picketing, and for the first time they spoke out against Pakistani policies with regard to Kashmir. They said they were deeply disappointed with policies of Islamabad and wanted to express their anger and frustration.

Demonstrators shouted Zardari jee ye Kashmiriyoun ke saath ghadaari hai (Mr. Zardari, what you are doing is treason to Kashmiris). They also said Geelani jee hamain ye ghulami qabool nei…Bacha bacha kat maray ga, Kashmir sooba nei baney ga (Prime Minister Gilani we reject this slavery of the new package on Gilgit and Baltistan. Every Kashmiri child will die but Kashmir won't become a province of Pakistan).

Demonstrators were furious when Pakistani High Commission refused to even accept a petition from the Kashmiri leaders representing various political parties. 'This is like rubbing salt on our wounds,' said Dr Shabir Choudhry, spokesman of Kashmir National Party (KNP). 

He said, 'We used our democratic right and like civilised people did not use foul language against Pakistan or threw stones or tomatoes at the high commission. We were here to express our disappointment and anger; and the least we expected was that someone from the high commission would come out and receive our petition and pass it on to President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani so that they also know what our concerns were.'

Abbas Butt, chair of KNP said, 'The attitude of the Pakistani officials was very annoying and this was a slap on our faces. It was a common decency that they should come out and meet the Kashmiri leaders. It is their arrogance and wrong policies which is turning Kashmiris against them. Today even pro-Pakistan Kashmiris have come out to protest against their policies in this cold weather.' He said, 'Pakistani officials treat Kashmiris as slaves of medieval times who do not deserve even basic human rights. But they are wrong; we will fight back and get our rights.'

JKNLF president Mahmood Kashmiri expressed deep anguish on the attitude of the Pakistani High Commission officials. He said, 'They should have enough decency to come out and meet us. They have shown that they are worse than Indian officials. At least Indian officials accept our petitions when we hold demonstrations outside the Indian High Commission.' He said, 'Our struggle is against the wrong policies of Pakistan and not against the State of Pakistan, but you can see after the mission staff refused to accept our petition, some Kashmiris have shouted slogans against Pakistan. This is no way to win the minds and hearts of people,' he added.

When the delegation that went to hand in the petition came back and explained what had happened, some Kashmiris in frustration shouted anti-Pakistan slogans. Leaders acted quickly and requested them not say anything against state of Pakistan, however still some shouted, Kashmiriyoun ka barra qatil Pakistan aur chhotta qatil Hindustan (Pakistan is the big murderer of Kashmiris and India the small murderer).

Tahir Bostan, president of JKPNP also expressed his anger against the attitude and arrogance of the Pakistani officials. He said, 'This attitude is insulting. This shows what respect Pakistani officials have for Kashmiri leaders.' He said, 'Our struggle against the wrong policies of Pakistan will continue. We will start a campaign against Pakistan and will hold a series of demonstrations outside different Pakistani missions.'

The following parties and their supporters were present in the demonstration:
         Jammu Kashmir National Liberation Front
         Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party
         Kashmir Freedom Movement
         Jammu Kashmir Plebiscite Front
         Kashmir Liberation Organisation
         Association of British Kashmiris
         Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (Y)
         Jammu Kashmir Peoples National Party
         Kashmir National Party


— Shabir Choudhry

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