§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his foreign policy objectives with regard to Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydOur policy is to encourage the Governments of India and Pakistan to agree a means of settling their dispute over Kashmir as provided for in the 1972 Simla agreement; to emphasise the importance of a genuine political process in Kashmir in which the aspirations of the population in Kashmir can be accommodated, an improvement on human rights there; and to call for a clear cessation of any support from outside for violence within Kashmir.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make further representations regarding the Kashmiri people to the Indian Government.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe take every opportunity to discuss the situation in Kashmir with the Indian Government. They are fully aware of our concerns about human rights abuses by security forces there and the need for a genuine political process within Kashmir.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of the freedom of the press in Kashmir.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe are not aware of any restrictions on access to Kashmir by Indian or foreign journalists, or on their reporting on the situation there.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to use opportunities within the United Nations to progress a positive and peaceful solution to the problems of Kashmir.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe do not expect that, given the known positions of India and Pakistan, such opportunities are likely to arise.