UK parliamentarians call for early settlement of Kashmir issue

ISLAMABAD: A group of six British parliamentarians today called for an early settlement of the Kashmir issue.

The British parliamentarians from the ruling Conservative Party visited Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Dawn reported that they called for an "early solution to the lingering Kashmir issue".

Rehman Chishti, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Pakistan, recalled that during his previous visit to Muzaffarabad in 2012, he had promised to bring along his fellow parliamentarians on his next trip.

"It is important for the UK parliamentarians to visit Kashmir and realise the problems of locals," said the MP, who was born in a suburban area of Muzaffarabad.

Chishti said the UN should constitute an "independent international commission" which should visit Kashmir and its "finding, whatever those might be, should be accepted by everyone".

The British lawmakers arrived in Pakistan on April 2 on the invitation of Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Apart from Chishti, other parliamentarians who visited the region were Royston Smith, Matthew Offord, Mark Pawsey, Henry Smith and Nigel Huddleston.