More than 50 British lawmakers have written an urgent letter to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, demanding the UK government take diplomatic action over a sweeping communications blackout and security crackdown in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Led by MP Imran Hussain, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir, the lawmakers flagged deepening concern over reports of internet and mobile service disruptions and mass arrests — including of British nationals — and a breakdown in dialogue between Pakistani authorities and representatives of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civic movement that has led prolonged protests over governance, subsidies, and basic rights in the territory.
Background and Context
Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, nominally self-governing but in practice heavily controlled by Islamabad and the Pakistani military establishment, has witnessed escalating unrest over recent years. The JAAC emerged as a prominent protest movement demanding subsidised wheat and electricity, long promised to residents but frequently withheld. Previous rounds of protests in 2023 saw demonstrators met with tear gas, baton charges, and live ammunition by Pakistani security forces and paramilitary units, resulting in deaths, hundreds of injuries, and mass detentions of activists and political leaders.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly documented the heavy-handed response of Pakistani security forces in the territory, where freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly are routinely curtailed. Communications blackouts — including mobile internet shutdowns — have become a recurring tool used by authorities to suppress protest movements and limit independent reporting from the ground.
The Current Crisis
The parliamentary letter described a fresh wave of lockdowns, communications restrictions, and arrests that have left British Kashmiri families unable to reach relatives in the region. Constituents across the UK contacted their MPs, reporting acute anxiety over the welfare and safety of loved ones amid what the letter calls “significant distress” amongst the British Kashmiri community.
The signatories — including prominent figures such as Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, Diane Abbott, Zarah Sultana, and Apsana Begum — express alarm at the arrest of British nationals and the silencing of civic voices. They call on the FCDO to demand the immediate lifting of the communications blockade and restoration of services.
Calls for Action
The MPs are pressing the government on five key points: assessing the communications disruption, ensuring British nationals can access consular support, making direct representations to Islamabad, encouraging renewed dialogue with the JAAC, and monitoring further escalation.
