King’s Speech

Lord Hussain Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hussain (LD)]

My Lords, His Majesty’s gracious Speech was watched by millions of people at home and abroad with interest. His Majesty spoke at a time of turbulence, wars and uncertainty facing millions of people around the world.

In Gaza and Israel, the conduct of hostilities since October 2023 has generated credible allegations of serious violations of international human rights law, including crimes against humanity and genocide. The Security Council resolutions have called for ceasefires and humanitarian access. The problem remains compliance.

In Ukraine, Russia’s invasion violated the charter as affirmed by UNGA Resolution ES-11/1. The Security Council is blocked by Russian veto, but the legal position has not changed: borders cannot be redrawn by force.

In Sudan, the war between the SAF and the RSF has produced famine, mass displacement and documented atrocities against civilians. Resolution 2715 renewed the UN mission, but, without political pressure and accountability, the situation deteriorates. Resolutions without enforcement become empty gestures.

In recent months, the US and Israel have waged war on Iran without any reference to international law. Thanks to the efforts of the Government of Pakistan, a ceasefire has been agreed while the details of a peace agreement between the US and Iran are worked out. The United Nations has proved to be irrelevant once again.

That brings me to another international dispute that is almost forgotten by the international community: the Kashmir issue that has been on the Security Council’s agenda since 1948. Resolutions 47, 51 and 80 called for a free and impartial plebiscite under UN supervision once hostilities ceased. That plebiscite has never taken place. While waiting for the UN-promised plebiscite, the human rights situation has deteriorated in Kashmir. Over the years, international human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the UN Commission on Human Rights and others, have reported the Indian Army operating with complete impunity under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. It is alleged to be involved in the excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions, torture, murder, mass graves and rape, while journalists, political leaders, human rights defenders and activists are detained and held under preventive laws, such as the public safety Act, for months and years, often without charge or trial. This situation should not be allowed to continue. The international community, including Britain, must do everything it can to bring an end to these human rights abuses and hold those responsible to account.

India and Pakistan have fought three full-scale wars and many border clashes over Kashmir, and Kashmir remains one of the most militarised zones in the world. In May 2025, we saw another dangerous escalation, with cross-border strikes and civilian casualties. The ceasefire holds, but the dispute is unresolved. What makes this issue different is the nuclear dimension. A single miscalculation on the line of control could escalate beyond regional control, with consequences for global health, climate and the economy. I mentioned earlier four other areas of conflict, but let me tell noble Lords that the consequences of a war between two nuclear countries, India and Pakistan, could be far worse than those conflicts.

We can either invest in diplomacy now or wait for the next crisis to invest in damage control. I believe that Britain, with its historical relationship with both India and Pakistan as the head of Commonwealth and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is best placed to use its unique position to bring these two friendly countries back to dialogue to help to find a peaceful solution to the long-standing issue of Kashmir, according to the will of the Kashmiri people, and to bring peace, stability and prosperity to the 1.7 billion people of the Indian subcontinent.