Hundreds of members of the Kashmiri diaspora and human rights activists staged coordinated protests outside the Pakistani High Commission in London and Pakistani diplomatic missions across major British cities on June 8–9, 2026, condemning what they called a military crackdown, civilian deaths, mass arrests and an internet blackout in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Demonstrators in London, Bradford, Birmingham and Manchester chanted slogans, carried banners and waved the PoK flag, demanding the restoration of communications and the release of detained activists. Organisers said the protests were triggered by a deadly escalation in Rawalakot and a heavy security response by Pakistani forces.
Activists say the unrest in PoJK began as months-long demonstrations led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) over rising inflation, food shortages and high electricity prices. They say the situation worsened after the government formally banned the JAAC under anti-terrorism laws and deployed large paramilitary contingents, including Pakistani Rangers and Punjab Police, to the area.
Protesters and campaigners have alleged that security forces used live ammunition against unarmed crowds, causing dozens of civilian casualties and widespread arrests. “Large quantities of weapons and heavily armed individuals have entered PoJK from Pakistan, creating an atmosphere of terror. We are seeing a massacre of our youth who are simply asking for basic economic and social dignity,” Mahmood Kashmiri, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA), told news agency ANI.
The demonstrations in the UK were heightened by reports of a near-total internet and mobile communications blackout across PoJK. Protesters outside the London mission said they had been cut off from family members for days and voiced urgent concern for relatives’ safety. Prominent PoJK activist Amjad Ayub Mirza appealed to the international community, calling the blockade a deliberate effort to conceal alleged abuses.
The crisis has drawn political attention in Britain: organisers said more than 50 UK lawmakers had signed a letter expressing concern over alleged repression and communication blackouts in PoJK. Demonstrators vowed to maintain blockades of diplomatic missions until internet access is restored, political prisoners are freed and the military presence in civilian areas is reduced.
Organisers also warned they would escalate protests to the United Nations headquarters and other international embassies if the violence in Rawalakot and surrounding areas continues. The allegations and accounts given by protesters and activists in the UK have not been independently verified in this report.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/members-of-kashmiri-diaspora-protest-across-uk-over-military-crackdown-in-pojk-video-14020302.html
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Publish Date: 2026-06-09 08:15:00
