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The security situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) remains volatile as widespread protests continue across the region. Demonstrators have alleged that Pakistani security forces resorted to shelling and live firing to disperse protesters, leading to casualties and escalating tensions.
Amid this, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir and Member of Parliament for Bradford East, Imran Hussain, along with more than 50 Members of Parliament, has written to UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, expressing deep concern over the deteriorating human rights and security situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and urging the UK Government to take diplomatic steps towards de-escalation and peaceful dialogue. In a letter dated July 30, addressed to the Foreign Secretary, the parliamentarians said they were "deeply concerned" by reports that peaceful protesters had come under live fire, resulting in deaths and injuries during the ongoing unrest in the region. "We are writing to express our deep concern at the human rights situation in PoJK and in particular the recent reports that peaceful protesters have been fired upon, resulting in deaths and injuries. These reports represent a serious escalation in tensions and underline the urgent need for restraint and immediate de-escalation," the letter stated. The MPs said reports of excessive force, including the use of live ammunition against demonstrators, had raised serious concerns over the protection of the rights to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly. They warned that such developments risked further escalating tensions, undermining public confidence and destabilising an already fragile situation. The letter noted that many British Kashmiris have close family ties to the region and that recent developments had caused widespread anxiety among communities in the United Kingdom regarding the safety and wellbeing of their relatives. "As you will appreciate, many of our British Kashmiri constituents have close family ties to the region and continue to contact us expressing deep concern for the safety and wellbeing of their loved ones," the parliamentarians wrote. The letter stated that over recent months they had written to the previous Foreign Secretary, tabled parliamentary motions supported by more than 70 parliamentarians from both Houses of Parliament, and met ministers, officials and other stakeholders to encourage dialogue, de-escalation and a peaceful resolution to tensions. The parliamentarians stressed that all parties should exercise restraint and that outstanding issues must be resolved through peaceful dialogue rather than confrontation. They underscored that freedom of expression, peaceful political participation and access to communications remain fundamental principles necessary for ensuring stability, public confidence and the protection of human rights. Concluding the letter, the MPs said that the people of PoJK, as well as British Kashmiris with strong family and community links to the region, deserved peace, stability and the opportunity for their concerns to be addressed through dialogue rather than confrontation. They urged the UK Government to use all appropriate diplomatic channels to support immediate de-escalation, encourage restraint by all parties and promote a peaceful and lasting resolution with the human rights of Kashmiris placed at its core. The letter was signed by Imran Hussain MP, Chair of the APPG on Kashmir, along with more than 50 parliamentarians from across the UK Parliament. (ANI)
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