Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir diplomacy is often a quiet art, deliberate, measured, and restrained.
But sometimes, it becomes a roar, a clarion call that cuts through decades of silence and injustice.
Our recent visit to the United Kingdom from 18th to 25th May 2025 was one such moment.
As Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, I led a high-level delegation with a clear and urgent mission: to rekindle global attention to the plight of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
This is not just a territorial dispute, it is a humanitarian crisis that has endured for over 75 years.
And now, with India’s intensified military presence, demographic shifts, and systemic restrictions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the world can no longer afford to look away.
This trip was not about symbolism.
It was about strategic action, moral clarity, and diplomatic momentum.
A mission rooted in responsibility
Our delegation included senior Members of the National Assembly: Syed Javed Ali Shah Jilani MNA, Muhammad Riaz Khan MNA, and Malik Anwar Taj, MNA.
Together, we embarked on a rigorous schedule of meetings across London, Stoke, Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester, and Glasgow.
In each city, we delivered a unified message: Kashmir is not a bilateral issue between Pakistan and India, it is a question of self-determination, human rights, and international law.
One of the most significant moments came in Bradford, where we were received by Judith Cummins MP, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.
Her engagement was more than courteous, it was deeply informed.
She acknowledged the urgency of parliamentary dialogue on unresolved conflicts and reaffirmed the UK’s historic role as a mediator.
Joined by local councilors and community leaders of Pakistani-Kashmiri heritage, she echoed the need for a peaceful, negotiated settlement.
In London, our meeting with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir at Westminster marked another milestone.
Chaired by Imran Hussain MP, the session brought together parliamentarians from across party lines.
They recognized the historical roots of the conflict and committed to amplifying Kashmir’s voice within British political institutions.
The Diaspora: The pulse of global advocacy
No diplomacy can succeed without the strength of its people.
In the UK, the Pakistani-Kashmiri diaspora proved to be an unstoppable force, passionate, organized, and politically engaged.
At the Kashmir Solidarity Conference in Manchester, hosted by veteran activist Raja Najabat Hussain founding member JKSDMI, we witnessed the full breadth of this grassroots power.
British MPs, civil society representatives, media, and youth gathered under one roof.
The conference culminated in a joint declaration calling on the UK government to support a United Nations-led fact-finding mission into human rights violations in IIOJK.
It was a powerful reminder: when communities unite around a cause, they become the voice of justice on the world stage.
Historical truths cannot be ignored
India’s position on Kashmir has long been inconsistent with its own founding principles, and even with the words of its first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
In 1947, Nehru declared:
“We have declared that the fate of Kashmir is ultimately to be decided by the people.
That pledge we have given… not only to the people of Kashmir but to the world.
We will not and cannot back out of it.”
Broadcast to the Nation on All India Radio, November 2, 1947
And again, in Parliament in 1952, he affirmed:
“If the people of Kashmir are not free to decide their own future, then the whole basis of our claim to be a democracy is gone”
Yet today, those promises remain unfulfilled.
The plebiscite Nehru pledged never materialized.
Instead, India has imposed military occupation, surveillance, and systemic suppression under the guise of national unity.
He once said:
“We do not wish to win people against their will with the help of armed forces, and if the people of Kashmir do not wish to be with us, let them go their way.”
Statement in Indian Parliament, 1952 But the reality on the ground tells a different story, one of mass detentions, curfews, censorship, and violence.
These contradictions must be confronted, not just by India’s neighbors, but by the international community.
Correcting the narrative: Truth as a tool of diplomacy During our visit, we reset the conversation.
At a high-profile media briefing hosted by the Pakistan High Commission in London, we presented evidence-based observations:
The revocation of Articles 370 and 35A and its implications for Kashmiri autonomy
Reports of population shifts and concerns over altered demographics
Restrictions on freedom of expression, mass detentions, and surveillance measures
Cross-border ceasefire violations affecting civilian infrastructure
India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty
We made it clear: these are not isolated incidents.
They reflect systematic challenges to peace, stability, and human dignity in the region.
Strategic outcomes: From words to action
This mission was not about photo-ops or press releases.
It was about delivering tangible results:
Formal commitment from British MPs to raise the Kashmir issue in Parliament debates and committee discussions.
Institutionalized cooperation between the APPG on Kashmir and Pakistan’s Parliamentary Committee, ensuring sustained pressure and dialogue.
Launch of “Kashmir Advocacy Councils” across the UK, empowering diaspora communities to lobby locally and nationally.
Planning underway for a Global Parliamentary Forum on Kashmir to be held in the UK in 2026, an unprecedented platform for international lawmakers to engage directly with the issue.
These outcomes represent a shift, from rhetoric to resolve, from appeals to accountability.
The struggle for Kashmir’s rightful future requires consistent, coordinated, and principled advocacy.
Following this success, our next steps include:
Engagements in Brussels, Geneva, and Washington DC
Outreach to UN agencies, human rights bodies, and regional organizations
Mobilization of global parliamentary networks to elevate Kashmir on the international agenda
We do not seek confrontation.
We seek justice, grounded in international law, UN resolutions, and the will of the Kashmiri people.
To the people of Kashmir: You are not forgotten
To every Kashmiri who lives under the shadow of occupation, to those who resist in silence and those who speak despite the risk, we carried your story.
We stood in the halls of British power and told the world: you matter.
We appreciate field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Air chief Martial Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf for the exceptional bravery and befitting response.
Our civil and military leadership prevailed.
The writer is a member of the National Assembly and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir.
He recently led a parliamentary delegation to the United Kingdom.
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