Kashmir diaspora condemns Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism in UK protest

LONDON: Indian diaspora groups, including those with roots in Jammu and Kashmir, gathered for a protest near the UK Parliament complex in London to raise awareness over Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism and counter the narrative of a "propaganda event" organised in a parliamentary room. Several prominent British Indian community members addressed the protest on Tuesday, including President of the Indo-European Kashmir Forum Krishna Bhan, who highlighted how the plight of Kashmiri Hindus over the decades had been overlooked in Western discourse about the region.

The gathering was organised in response to a so-called "All Parties Kashmir Conference", which the protesters said had been crafted to further Pakistan's agenda while ignoring the realities on the ground in Jammu and Kashmir.

"This collaborative effort aimed to expose Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism, which continues to destabilise the region, as well as the human rights abuses in the occupied territories by Pakistan. The protesters called on parliamentarians and other institutions to take a stand and help end Pakistan's use of terrorism as a state policy in Jammu and Kashmir," reads a statement on behalf of the protesters.

"Pakistan's continued use of both state and non-state actors to institutionalise terrorism is a menace that still plagues the region today. Furthermore, the event notably excluded key stakeholders from Jammu and Kashmir, such as Kashmiri Hindus who were ethnically cleansed from the region, as well as Dogras, Gujjars, Bakarwals, Paharis of Jammu, Sikhs, and the Buddhists and Shia Muslims of Ladakh," it notes.

Carrying placards reading "Pakistan Stop Terrorism", the diaspora groups converged in solidarity with members of the Indian Army and those impacted during Hindu pilgrimages such as the Amarnath Yatra or Shiv Khori in Reasi, Jammu.

Manu Khajuria, Founder of Voice of Dogras, condemned the "sham event" organised by Pakistan inside the Parliament complex, highlighting the country's ongoing obsession with Jammu and Kashmir through "invasions, proxy wars, and attempts to radicalise local youth".

The British Kashmiri community leader stressed that the real issue lies in "Pakistan's illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and the severe human rights violations there".

A digital van campaign was also coordinated across London to flag the issues with the British public, highlighting "historical and current realities" of Jammu and Kashmir.