Demonstrators demand restoration of human rights as concerns mount over unrest in the region…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Members of the Kashmiri diaspora in the United Kingdom staged a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission in London, denouncing the alleged crackdown by Pakistani security forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and demanding the restoration of civil liberties and human rights in the region.
The demonstration comes amid reports of continuing unrest in PoK, where protesters and rights groups have alleged that several civilians have been killed or injured during security operations. They have also claimed that authorities have imposed curfews, movement restrictions and a communications blackout across parts of the region.
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been at the forefront of the protests in PoK, said on social media that the London demonstration was organised in solidarity with the ongoing movement and to protest what it described as the killing of innocent Kashmiris.
The organisation said the gathering was intended to send a message that the movement would not be silenced through force.
“We British Kashmiris stand shoulder to shoulder with our Kashmiri brothers and will continue to challenge the usurpers,” the JAAC said in a statement.
The UK chapter of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, also expressed support for the protest, saying overseas Kashmiris had marched through London to condemn what it termed the “barbarism” of state forces in PoK and to demand the restoration of fundamental rights.
The party alleged that several protesters had been killed, hundreds injured and many arrested during the ongoing agitation, including movement leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir.
Meanwhile, British MP Imran Hussain urged Pakistan’s Prime Minister to immediately lift restrictions in PoK, restore communications and resume dialogue with protesters, stressing that respect for the human rights of Kashmiris should remain central to any resolution.
Sharing his remarks on social media, Hussain said he had received numerous representations from constituents concerned about the deteriorating situation in the region.
He said he had written to UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and requested an urgent meeting with Foreign Office ministers to raise the issue.
Hussain also said that, as chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir, he had written to the Foreign Secretary with the backing of more than 50 parliamentarians and had tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament, which continues to receive cross-party support. He said the initiative aims to press for greater international attention to the developments in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
