As Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir burns, UK's politics faces heat as MPs raise the matter

Tensions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have spilled into British politics, with dozens of UK MPs pressing the British government to address a violent crackdown on protesters that has left multiple people dead and triggered communications blackouts.

The unrest erupted in early June 2026, centred on Rawalakot in the occupied region of Kashmir.

Protests organised by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil society alliance, demanded subsidised flour and electricity, greater political rights, and an end to what demonstrators call exploitative governance from Islamabad. Authorities banned the JAAC under anti-terror laws, citing threats to public order.

Clashes intensified on 7-8 June when mourners gathered outside a hospital morgue in Rawalakot following the death of a JAAC activist, Shahzeb Habib, reportedly shot by police days earlier. Overall reports indicate several deaths, but some independent accounts and activist claims suggest significantly higher civilian casualties, alongside mass arrests, including of women and children. Internet and mobile services were heavily restricted, creating a communications blackout that hindered information flow and contact with relatives.

The issue has ignited concern in the UK, home to a large number of people with links to the occupied region. On 6 June, Bradford East MP Imran Hussain, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir, led nearly 30 MPs (with some reports citing over 50 signatories) in writing to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. The letter highlighted arrests, including those of British nationals, the blackout's impact on families, and a breakdown in dialogue. It urged the UK to engage diplomatically for de-escalation, lift restrictions, support British nationals, and promote peaceful resolution.

Prominent MPs including Bob Blackman have publicly condemned the use of live ammunition against civilians, calling for accountability and noting evidence of British nationals among the injured. Protests by PoK activists have occurred outside the Pakistani consulate in Bradford and near the UK Parliament, amplifying calls for intervention.

Pakistan has rejected the MPs' intervention as "unwarranted," accusing them of disregarding the context and urging the UK to caution its parliamentarians. The statement by Pakistan is seen as a threat. British MP for Peterborough, UK, Mr Andrew Pakes in a recent gathering, said, "it is my duty to speak out against the human rights abuses. The Pakistani government has put out a statement threatening the British MPs for speaking about human rights, peace, and reconciliation."

The matter has been raised by the British MPs with the UK's Middle East Hamish Falconer. Falconer was also in Pakistan and met Pakistan's foreign minister, Ishaq Dar. The Pakistani govt has also lodged a formal complaint with BBC Urdu over its reportage on the deteriorating situation in PoK.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has ignited fierce controversy with remarks questioning the Kashmiri identity of residents in Rawalakot, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), amid ongoing protests. In a television interview, Asif stated that Rawalakot "is not Kashmir" and that he did not consider its people "proper Kashmiris". Asif has refused to apologise, deepening political tensions in the region.