JAMMU: British Member of Parliament Bob Blackman has reiterated his long-standing support for India’s position on J&K, asserting that the entire Union Territory (UT) should be reunited with India. During his interaction in Jaipur on January 6, Bob recalled that he had called for the abrogation of Article 370 as early as 1992 after getting information about targeting of minority Hindu and Sikh communities by Islamists.
Speaking at a Hi-Tea Programme at the Constitutional Club in Jaipur, Blackman said this has been his stance on J&K for a very long time. It predates the Narendra Modi government’s August 2019 decision and was shaped by the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the early 1990s. He said his demand for scrapping Article 370 was rooted in what he described as the grave injustice faced by the displaced community. It needs to be mentioned that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had orchestrated mass exodus of the KPs by selective killings. This was aided in great measure by radicalisation of the youth who were given training in handling of arms and putting together Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to spread mayhem.
Incidentally, Blackman has been consistent in his support for India’s stance on Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). He has made similar remarks during his visit to Jammu city, where he spoke to journalists at the Press Club.
Pakistan’s illegal Occupation
Recalling his activism in the UK at the time, Blackman said efforts were made to draw attention to the forced displacement of Kashmiri Pandits. He said large meetings were organised to highlight that people were driven out of their ancestral homes purely based on religion and background. The Conservative MP said he has consistently condemned terrorism in J&K and also criticised Pakistan’s control over parts of the region, which he termed an illegal occupation. Reiterating his core position, Blackman said the entire erstwhile princely state of J&K should be reunited under India.
His remarks echoed his earlier statements made in July 2025, when he strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. In a post on X, he had expressed shock over the killings and said peace remained fragile despite a pause in hostilities, urging the UK government to stand with India against terrorism. Speaking earlier in the UK Parliament, Blackman had referred to India’s response to the attack, including its counter-terrorism action, and said he was deeply saddened by the killing of innocent tourists. While welcoming a temporary truce between India and Pakistan, he cautioned that the situation remained volatile.
Highlighting Pakistan’s alleged role in cross-border terrorism, Blackman said it was outrageous that terrorism, which he claimed was sponsored by Pakistan, continued in J&K. During the Operation Sindoor Global Outreach in June, he also described Pakistan as a “failed state” and questioned its civil-military balance, calling for international solidarity with India.
