After the controversial deportation of the UK MP Debbie Abrahams from India, the British lawmaker has now reached Pakistan to meet the Pak FM Shah Qureshi

After the controversial deportation of the UK MP Debbie Abrahams from India, the British lawmaker has now reached Pakistan and will meet with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. This comes as Debbie Abrahams in an interview with Republic TV admitted that she wanted to visit the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) to have a look at the human rights situation there. Abrahams is the Chair of the British Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Kashmir Group.

Debbie Abrahams is expected to address a press briefing with Imran Khan's foreign minister and her collegaues from the British Parliament on Wednesday, February 19. The presser will be held at Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Below is the list of people who will be attending the briefing.

  • Ms. Debbie Abrahams MP, Chair APPGK (Labour)
  • Imran Hussain MP, Senior vice-Chair APPGK and Shadow Justice Minister (Labour)
  • James Daly MP, Treasurer APPGK (Conservative)
  • Lord Qurban Hussain, Secretary APPGK (LibDem)
  • Tahir Ali MP Vice-Chair APPGK (Labour)
  • Sara Britcliffe MP (Conservative)
  • Mark Eastwood MP (Conservative)
  • Judith Cummins MP (Labour)
  • Cllr. Yasmine Dar, Member Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (She was instrumental in getting the Labour’s resolution on Kashmir)
  • Harpreet Uppal, Parliamentary Staff;
  • Sabah Kanwal, Parliamentary Assistant
  • Raja Najabat Hussain, Chair J&K Self Determination ​Movement Intl (JKSDMI)
  • Mr. Shadad Qumar

Debbie Abrahams Deported

After being denied entry into India on Monday, February 16, Abrahams in an exclusive interview with Republic TV admitted that she was not aware of her visa being cancelled. When asked if the Government of India had informed her about the visa expiration, she said, "I had no idea. I had absolutely no idea. I was treated badly by the officials; the officer shouted at me. I have never seen a deportation cell - they took me to a deportee cell."

She later posted a picture of her visa, with government sources confirming to Republic that the visa had been cancelled on Feb 14, with the UK MP having been informed. As for her claims of having suffered an ordeal, sources confirmed that regular process was followed.

Debbie On PoK

When asked about her visit to Pakistan occupied Kashmir, she said, "Yes, I am going to visit Pakistan. I would like to visit Pakistan occupied Kashmir and look at the human rights issue. I wanted to meet my family in Karachi."

Debbie's Stance On Kashmir

The aim of the British Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Kashmir Group is to support the right of Kashmiri people to self-determination and to highlight the abuses of human rights in Kashmir. After the abrogation of Article 370, she wrote to UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab asking whether UK would raise the matter at the UN Security Council meeting in September 2019. 

On February 4, 2020, she participated in the Kashmir Solidarity Day seminar in London. The event also witnessed the participation of Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, the Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK and Sardar Masood Khan, the ‘President’ of PoK. The seminar was organised by the Women Council of Jammu Kashmir Self-Determination Movement International.