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The chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA), Mahmood Kashmiri, has announced a major demonstration outside the Pakistan Consulate in Bradford on Monday, September 29.
The protest is part of a broader campaign highlighting what organisers describe as Pakistan's repression in Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) and the denial of fundamental rights to the region's people. In a video shared by Mahmood Kashmiri on Facebook, he stated that this demonstration is intended to send a clear message of solidarity with residents of PoJK, where calls for shutdowns and peaceful resistance have gained momentum. He stated that the movement is not about charity from Islamabad but about sovereignty, resource control, and the dignity of the people in PoJK. Mahmood Kashmiri stated that the upcoming Bradford protest will remain peaceful but warned the Government of Pakistan against using force to suppress non-violent mobilisations. "If Pakistan deploys its forces to silence Kashmiri voices, the world will know," he stated, adding that the diaspora is prepared to expose what they describe as Pakistan's oppressive tactics. Mahmood Kashmiri has framed JKNIA's campaign as a struggle for justice and dignity, rooted in the principles of self-determination. Pakistan's policies in the region have long denied Kashmiris control over their natural resources and limited their political rights. The September 29 action, they said, is part of a broader strategy to internationalise these grievances. Demonstrators are expected to march with placards, raise slogans, and issue memoranda demanding the withdrawal of Pakistani security forces from PoJK. Mahmood has urged the international community to stand with the people of PoJK in their quest for rights, honour, and sovereignty. "This is not merely a local protest," he stated, "but a global cry against oppression." Earlier this month, the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) had criticised Pakistan's move to deploy security forces in PoJK, saying it mirrors the same coercive tactics used during the 1947 invasion. In a press release shared on X, Sajid Hussain, Secretary of Information and Member of UKPNP's Central Committee, noted that the deployment highlights the government's fear of public demonstrations that call for justice, human rights, democracy, and equality. Instead of addressing the people's grievances, the party stated that the authorities have chosen force and intimidation. "Protesters are not criminals; they are exercising their democratic right to peaceful assembly," the statement read. "Sending thousands of police officers to silence them is unjustifiable," he stated. The UKPNP urged both the PoJK government and Pakistan's central authorities to withdraw the deployment and respect the right to protest immediately. It also called on the United Nations, the European Union, and international human rights organisations to take notice of what it termed a blatant misuse of state power. The protest on September 29 is expected to focus on longstanding grievances in PoJK, including exploitation of resources, lack of democratic rights, and restrictions on political expression. (ANI)
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