February 5th is day of solidarity with the people of Kashmir.

Write Letter to Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister

Kashmiris have been consistently and systematically denied their rights for decades and international efforts to address this crisis have been largely ineffective.

With Minister Marc Garneau’s recent appointment and mandate as Canada’s foreign minister, you are asked to write him about Canada’s silence, and the urgent situation in Indian occupied Kashmir.

In November 2020, the government responded to three petitions with regard to the situation in Indian occupied Kashmir. One was sponsored by Liberal MP Ratansi, another by NDP MP Scott Duvall, and the third by Conservative MP Gladu. These were signed by 3500 Canadian residents. The response was less than adequate. It said the government of Canada was monitoring the situation, that many restrictions had been lifted, but Canada “looks forward to restoration of normalcy and resumption of inclusive political dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir.” Read response.

This was the first time that Indian occupied Kashmir had been mentioned in the Canadian parliament in regard to the military occupation and human rights violations since the early part of the century.

Despite thousands of letters sent to the Canadian government, including to opposition parties, there has been silence. On October 22, 2020, a webinar explored “Canada’s Silence on Indian occupied Kashmir.”