Bradford, United Kingdom, February 6 — Members of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), representing residents of Pakistan‑occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), staged a demonstration outside the Pakistani Consulate in Bradford to coincide with Pakistan’s observance of Kashmir Solidarity Day.
In a Facebook statement shared by Sardar Tahir Khan, Central Secretary Information of the UKPNP, protesters denounced the observance as a “fraud, deception and mockery” of Kashmiris. Demonstrators chanted slogans including “Our Rivers are Ours, Occupation is Unacceptable,” “Stop Violations of Fundamental Human Rights,” “Stop Land Grabbing,” and “End State Terrorism.”
Speakers at the rally accused Pakistan of projecting a false narrative of solidarity while, they said, more than 100,000 Kashmiris have been killed over the past 78 years. They described the declared solidarity as inconsistent with what they termed repression, exploitation and denial of Kashmiri national identity on the ground.
Mahmood Ahmed Kashmiri, Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA), told the gathering that Pakistan’s solidarity rhetoric was an insult to Kashmiris enduring systemic oppression, alleging efforts to erase Kashmiri identity and unlawful exploitation of the region’s natural resources.
Sardar Tahir Khan highlighted alleged breaches of State Subject Laws in PoJK and Pakistan‑occupied Gilgit‑Baltistan through settlement of non‑local populations, and accused Pakistani authorities of repeatedly failing to implement demands accepted from the Awami Action Committee on three occasions.
Other UKPNP leaders — Sardar Amjad Yousaf Khan (President Europe Zone), Sardar Asif Abbas (General Secretary Europe Zone) and Sardar Tariq Khan (President UK Zone) — criticised what they called Pakistan’s double standards, saying many Kashmiris view the day as the “Day of Escape” or “Day of Betrayal.” Speakers recalled 22 October 1947, alleging Pakistan sent militia and tribal fighters into Jammu and Kashmir, contributing to the region’s division, and they reiterated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are one nation, rejecting divisions on religious grounds.
The protest drew UKPNP activists and members from Leeds, Dewsbury, Mansfield and other Yorkshire branches. The demonstration was organised by Rizwan Latif, Bradford organiser, who acted as stage secretary. (ANI)
This report is based on a syndicated feed and is published as received; the publisher assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.
