UK MP arrives in Islamabad after India denies entry

UK Labour MP Debbie Abrahams reached Islamabad on Wednesday after she was denied entry in India on February 17.

She was welcomed at the Islamabad International Airport by All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Hamid Loon and Kashmiri Representative Raja Najabat Hussain.

Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, was leading a British Parliament delegation on All Parties Parliamentarian Group for Kashmir, comprising nine members. They will be visiting Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

On Monday, she was denied a standard
e-visa at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Airport. According to her tweet, she was told
that her visa, which had been valid till October 2020, was rejected. The immigration
officers also didn’t explain the reason behind their decision.

“I have Indian relatives who I was meant to be visiting with and have Indian members of staff accompanying me,” Abrahams said. “An official took my passport and disappeared for about 10 minutes and when he came back, he was very rude and shouted at me to come with him,” she said.

She was also reportedly taken to a cordoned-off area declared a deportee cell.

In response to some of the comments I was planning to visit Indian family in Dehli accompanied by my Indian aide. I became a politician to promote social justice human rights FOR ALL. I will continue to challenge my own Government others while injustice abuse is unchecked https://t.co/YvCOPDmfeB

— Debbie Abrahams (@Debbie_abrahams) February 17, 2020

Last August, Abrahams had expressed her concerns against India’s decision to revoke Kashmir’s special status. She had written to the UK foreign secretary saying that the decision had “betrayed the trust of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”.

“I became a politician to promote social justice and human rights FOR ALL,” the MP tweeted. “I will continue to challenge my own government and others while injustice and abuse is unchecked,” she added.

Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/global/2020/02/uk-mp-arrives-in-islamabad-after-india-denies-entry/