UK MP Supports PM Modi’s Article 370 Move, Says Entire PoK Belongs to India

New Delhi: British Member of Parliament Bob Blackman has said that the entire Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) should be reunited with India, calling Pakistan’s presence in the region "illegal" and against international norms. 

What did British MP say?

His remarks were made at a Hi-Tea programme at the Constitutional Club in Jaipur on Sunday and have sparked fresh political reactions in India and Pakistan.

Speaking at the event, MP Bob Blackman said Jammu and Kashmir was “an integral part of India” and that Pakistan had “no legal right” to occupy parts of it. 

What did he say about Article 370?

Blackman said that his advocacy for the abrogation of Article 370 began in 1992, following the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, long before Prime Minister Modi’s 2019 action.

“I didn’t just call for the abrogation of Article 370 back when Prime Minister Modi put it in the manifesto and implemented it. I called for this back in 1992, when the Kashmiri Pandits had been forced out of Jammu and Kashmir," Blackman said.

Blackman also said that a "massive meeting" was held in UK at that time.

"We held a massive meeting at the time to say to people, this is wrong, this is unjust, that people were being forced out of their ancestral homes purely because of their religion and their background," he said.

Why did PoK come up now?

Blackman said the Kashmir issue must be seen through the lens of history and legality. Referring to the 1947 accession, he said the region had legally acceded to India and that Pakistan’s control over PoK was the result of “illegal aggression.”

"Not only have I condemned the terrorism that takes place, but I also condemned the illegal occupation by Pakistan of parts of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

"I believe the entire princely state of Jammu and Kashmir should be integrated into India. I have consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and should be treated as such," he added.