Lord Hussain: I agree with everything that has been said. Many countries are supporting the Russian economy even through this war, and that includes purchasing Russian oil. Some of those countries we know very well. They are good friends of Britain as well, including India. What are His Majesty’s Government doing to persuade India not to purchase Russian oil while the war in Ukraine is going on?
Lord Hussain: My Lords, on International Women’s Day, while we are discussing very important issues such as steps taken to support the education of women and girls in the United Kingdom and worldwide, we must not forget those women in conflict zones facing physical torture, verbal abuse, harassment, rape and murder with complete impunity. One of those areas is Kashmir, where I was born. According to a...
Lord Hussain: My Lords, when such disasters strike, anywhere in the world, the British public are very good at responding to these appeals. In previous situations—flooding in Pakistan and earthquakes elsewhere—I have seen a lot of small groups collecting money for these purposes. How can we make sure that every single penny collected goes to the people we are collecting for?
Lord Hussain: My Lords, I will speak about Qatar because I recently visited it as part of a parliamentary delegation of seven European countries, comprising the UK, France, Italy, Ireland, Finland, Serbia and Romania, on the invitation of the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar to look at Qatari reforms in this field, particularly with regard to foreign workers. We noted the introduction of a basic...
Human rights in India, particularly in Kashmir – Lord Hussain.
Lord Hussain: My Lords, I support the Bill. As many noble Lords have said, rape is used as a weapon of war in many areas of conflict around the world. One that I draw noble Lords’ attention to is India, where in Kashmir for the last 30 years the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has given complete impunity to the armed forces. There are reports from Amnesty International, the UN Commission on Human...
Lord Hussain: My Lords, the recent border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan highlight the urgent need to accelerate the EU-led peace and normalisation process between those two countries. Does the Minister agree that to achieve a sustainable solution to all the remaining issues and fully normalise the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a comprehensive peace agreement needs to be in place?...
Lord Hussain: My lords, the Commonwealth is very important to people such as me who would not have been here without it. It was membership of the Commonwealth that opened the doors for the people of its member countries to work and settle in the United Kingdom, to rebuild the country after the Second World War. I commend the British people, who welcomed our families with open arms, and in the same breath...
Lord Hussain: My Lords, as we speak, the people of Ukraine are facing one of the worst times in their history. The Russian invasion of this sovereign country is completely illegal, brutal and uncalled for. The indiscriminate bombardment of Ukrainian towns, cities and villages is causing mass destruction and the loss and injury of innocent people, forcing migration and displacement on a large scale. The...
Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the human rights situation in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Lord Hussain: My Lords, many Kashmiris believe that in the past, fake charges have been brought in the courts against prominent leaders such as Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru that resulted in their execution. Now, another very prominent Kashmiri leader, who has a huge following in the UK as well, is on trial this week. Kashmiris suspect that the Indian Government want to get rid of him too; his life is in...
Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of Armenia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of India to advocate for the release of human rights activists in that country, including Khurram Parvez.
Lord Hussain: We have heard about the advice on face coverings, but could the Minister tell us about social distancing in public places, particularly places of worship?
Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Bangladesh about the release of political prisoners, particularly the former Prime Minister of that country.
Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make representations to the government of Armenia to (1) provide maps of landmines in the Nagorno-Karabakh region to the government of Azerbaijan, and (2) cooperate with the government of Azerbaijan in clearing landmines in the region.
Lord Hussain: My Lords, what representations do the UK Government intend to make to the Government of Armenia to encourage the latter to fulfil its obligations under the 10 November bilateral ceasefire agreement—specifically to fully withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh region, where the Russian peacekeepers are currently stationed, and to reverse its lack of co-operation with...
Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to further strengthen bilateral co-operation with Azerbaijan.
Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the independence of Azerbaijan on 18 October, and (2) to mark the anniversary by strengthening bilateral cooperation with the government of Azerbaijan.
