UK’s Parliamentary Group Funded By Pakistan?

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir (APPGK), chaired by the labour party MP Debbie Abrahams received the amount of £31,501–33,000 (about $39,600–41,500) in the name of “benefits in kind” on February 18th, 2020 from the Government of Pakistan for a visit to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) trip between February 18–22 earlier this year, the register of the All-party Parliamentary Groups revealed.

APPGK’s official website mentions “benefits in kind” for visit to “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” (liberated Jammu & Kashmir) while describing PoK. “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” is the official terminology used by the Pakistani Government to describe the illegally occupied part of Kashmir by Pakistan.

Many APPGK members, mainly Debbie Abrahams, are known to sail in a similar boat as Pakistan in alleging “human rights violations” in Kashmir by Indian troops. Recently, on February 17, 2020, Abrahams was denied entry to India, then deported to Dubai for traveling on an invalid visa. She then falsely accused the Indian Government of being vindictive for her one-sided stand on Kashmir Issue and being highly critical on India’s internal issue of abrogation of Article 370. Subsequently, on the following day, she traveled to meet with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, all funded by Islamabad.

On August 5, 2019, Abrahams wrote to India’s High Commissioner to the UK, to express deep concerns over the removal of Article 370.

She also wrote to the UK Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, stating that India’s actions in Kashmir violated international law with the request for the UK to call for a temporary prohibition on New Delhi’s movements. Abrahams and her counterparts in the labour party, like Jeremy Corbyn has been biased and critical on the Indian Government’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

APPGK has several Pakistanis or Pakistani origin members and others like Debbie Abrahams, with almost no representation from the Indian perspective.

This is not the first occasion where APPGK has received funds from Pakistan. In 2018, APPGK received 10,501–12,000 (approximately $13200–15100) from the Pakistan High Commission on September 17th, 2018, for similar services for “visits to Pakistan and Kashmir” in September 2018. APPGK’s report was later flaunted on several Pakistani Government websites and newspapers, bragging about the APPGK’s observations in PoK.

All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are informal cross-party groups that have no official status within the UK Parliament. They are run by and for Members of the Commons and Lords, though many choose to involve individuals and organizations from outside Parliament in their administration and activities.