Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on residents of the Indian Government’s communications lockdown in Kashmir.

We are following the serious situation in Kashmir closely and are concerned about the restrictions on communications. Respect for individual rights and constructive dialogue with affected communities is important. We have raised these concerns with the Indian Government. On 7 August the Foreign Secretary discussed this issue with his Indian counterpart Dr Jaishankar. The Prime Minister has also discussed the situation in Kashmir with both PM Modi of India and PM Imran Khan of Pakistan.