MP hears refugee horror stories

Ann says: "Constituents have asked me about the situation in Islamabad and the conditions at the Embassy for people making applications to visit Britain.

"It was very important for us to pay our own way on this trip.

"I don't want to be beholden to any group involved in the conflicts in Pakistan and Kashmir.

"It is always baest to try and keep an open mind and a funded visit might suggest a bias towards one side or the other."

Here she reports for the Keighley News on her visit.

STORIES abound of Parliamenta-rians going on essential fact finding trips to warmer climates during the worst excesses of the British winter at the taxpayers expense. My detractors will, therefore, find me nave for visiting very hot Pakistan in September during a UK warm spell in the middle of the Parliamentary recess and at my own expense.

When four of my colleagues and I decided to visit this sub-continent, we wanted the freedom to ask, where necessary, awkward questions and make independent judgements.

Since we all have large Mirpuri communities we were concerned to visit that area and hear something of the military, political and social consequences of the dispute regarding Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

We also wanted to see at first hand the treatment of the relatives of our constituents when applying for visas at the Islamabad High Commission.

The culture shock of a week in Pakistan, despite staying most nights at an air-conditioned hotel, is virtually impossibly to describe, except to say it is another world.

Clearly having so many friends, colleagues and constituents born in Pakistan, I have a pretty fair understanding of the area, however, nothing could have prepared me for my own reactions.

I spent seven days ricocheting from delight with the warmth of our welcome and the fascination of all that we were seeing and learning, to seething fury at so many injustices and double standards, often, but not entirely, regarding attitudes to women, not to mention the stark poverty endured.

Our Kashmir government 'minders', without whom our programme would have been impossible, were Brigadier Azam and Zahid Khan Abbasi, they were our assistants, protectors and teachers and were patient, tolerant and kind.

Because of my constituency interests, I was keen to stay as long as possible at the Islamabad High Commission and now hold the view that conditions for British applicants are as good as we can make them.

Since the visit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister, Baroness Symons last year, the queuing that took place in the heat and rain is now under cover, with ample seating, toilets, drinking water and fans. Negotiations are continuing with the local authority to improve conditions for the outside queues which build up mainly from midnight on Sunday to 7.30am opening on Monday.

The many interviews I sat in on for visitors and settlements seekers were conducted by British Entry Clearance officers often through locally recruited interpreters.

My presence may well have had an impact, but from what I could observe, applicants were treated fairly and with consideration and I understand that conditions are much better than those prevailing at the US Embassy.

We took the long winding road to Muzaffarabad the main town of Azad Kashmir, visiting the Ambore refugee camp, the Gari Dupatti displaced persons camp and the Line of Control near Chakothi with a briefing by the local army commander.

At subsequent meetings, I made clear my extreme disquiet at the conditions at both camps. Long term we must campaign for a peaceful settlement to the Kashmir dispute so that the people can return to their villages but meanwhile there is no excuse for the dreadful conditions endured, this is the responsibility of the Azad Kashmir and Pakistan governments and I will be writing to them along these lines.

At Mirpur we were given a noisy welcome and spoke to a meeting of 600, amongst them 50 Keighley people and were made to feel very much at home by all, including the Kashmir Prime Minister and the Leader of the Mirpuri local authority.

Most of our seven days were completely taken up by visits addressing public meetings, participating in private briefing and discussions with Pakistan and Kashmir government ministers, as many as six events per day plus time spent at the British High Commission.

For me the most interesting visit and briefing was to the Al Shifa Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, where conditions are basic and wouldn't be tolerated at Airedale, however, they perform dozens of operations every day saving the sight of all from babies to the elderly, largely free of charge.

We were given a fascinating talk by an extremely experienced teacher from Bolton, Joan Atkinson, now, since retirement, working with VSO organising a school for children from poor families at Rawalakot in Azad Kashmir where they insist on an intake of 50 per cent girls and where the children go on afterwards to university and professional qualifications. Joan is confident that these children will one day help form a sound future for Kashmir.

I had a full and frank discussion with the Pakistan Foreign Minister raising with him the position of women, particularly regarding the influence of the Afghan Taliban encroaching into Kashmir and Pakistan, plus the possibility of a third option for Kashmir, that of genuine independence from both Pakistan and India.

Both Gordon Prentice, MP for Pendle and I stressed to the Foreign Minister and other political groups, our view that Pakistan could have taken the political and moral high ground had they refused to doggedly follow India in developing and exploring nuclear weapons, but had declared their intention of instead putting resources into pure water, basic education, healthcare and shelter for all.

I am dismayed by the way India and Pakistan are using the unfortunate people of Kashmir as political pawns and will be writing to both governments through their High Commissions in London.

We, as a group, will also be seeing the Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook to bring pressure to bear on India through the UN and US government for the long promised plebiscite in the whole of Kashmir regarding self determination.

The position of Kashmir must be resolved if only so that these two poorest of the world's countries can move resources from defence to the well being of their people. Jubilee 2000's campaign for debt relief for Third World countries which has always had my support, will have a greater chance of success so far as the sub-continent is concerned if and when both countries turn away from such massive defence expenditure.

I learned a lot from my seven days in Pakistan and would like to put on record my appreciation of those who made it possible.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.