The escalating unrest in Azad Kashmir is being felt thousands of miles away in Bradford, where one of the UK’s largest British Kashmiri communities is anxiously following developments affecting relatives and loved ones.
With around 90 per cent of Bradford’s Pakistani community tracing its heritage to the Mirpur district of Azad Kashmir, reports of deadly violence, injuries and growing political tensions have prompted concern from local MPs, community organisations and campaigners.
The unrest has intensified following weeks of demonstrations across Azad Kashmir, with protesters calling for the release of detainees, the withdrawal of legal cases against activists and wider political reforms. Reports from the region claim that security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Rawalakot and later in Mirpur, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
While casualty figures remain disputed and have not been independently verified, the reports have heightened fears among British Kashmiris with close family connections to the region.
For many in Bradford, the crisis is deeply personal rather than political.
Families have been closely monitoring developments, contacting relatives and sharing updates through social media and messaging groups as concerns grow over the safety of loved ones.
Bradford East MP Imran Hussain, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir, has led a cross-party response in Westminster.
In a letter to Foreign Secretary Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, signed by 65 parliamentarians including Bradford West MP Naz Shah, MPs expressed “deep concern” over what they described as the serious deterioration in the human rights situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The letter highlights reports that peaceful protesters had been fired upon, resulting in deaths and injuries, and warns that the escalating violence risks further destabilising an already sensitive situation.
It states: “Reports of brutal force and an increasingly heavy-handed response to demonstrations, including the use of live fire, raise serious concerns about the protection of those exercising their rights to peaceful protest and assembly.”
The MPs also stressed that many British Kashmiris have close family ties to the region and continue to express deep concern for their safety and wellbeing.
They urged the UK Government to use diplomatic channels to encourage restraint, immediate de-escalation and dialogue, while seeking clarification on the UK’s engagement with Pakistani authorities.
Sharing the letter on social media, Mr Hussain said: “As Chair of the APPG on Kashmir, we now have 65 Parliamentarians who have added their names to our letter to the Foreign Secretary regarding the current situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
“We remain deeply concerned by the serious escalation in tensions, particularly the recent reports of live fire resulting in deaths and injuries.
“Many British Kashmiris are deeply worried about the safety and wellbeing of their families, causing real anxiety and distress across our communities.
“The UK Government should use every appropriate diplomatic channel to support immediate de-escalation and help secure a peaceful resolution through table talks, with the inalienable human rights of Kashmiris at the heart of any lasting solution.”
Bradford West MP Naz Shah also condemned the reported killings and called for accountability.
She said: “I totally condemn the killing of innocent people in Mirpur and other areas of Azad Kashmir. Shooting directly at protestors who
were peacefully expressing their political views is barbaric.
“I will be speaking with government representatives in Pakistan and AJK to call for accountability, condemnation and immediate action to move towards a peaceful resolution.
“Speaking up against the killing of innocent people is a moral and human duty. To remain silent is an injustice to humanity.”
The growing concern has also been reflected on the streets of Bradford.
On 28 July, Kashmiri activists gathered outside the Pakistan Consulate in Bradford to protest against what they described as human rights violations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Demonstrators raised concerns over reports that security forces had opened fire during protests in Rawalakot and Mirpur, and called for greater international attention to the situation.
Organisers said the demonstrations formed part of a wider 52-day protest movement in the region, with campaigners demanding political reforms, the release of detainees and an end to what they describe as the suppression of dissent.
Campaign group Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has claimed that dozens of people have been killed since protests began in early June, although those figures have not been independently verified.
Activists have also alleged that talks between protest leaders and the authorities collapsed shortly before thousands of demonstrators began marching towards Muzaffarabad, after which violence escalated.
Bradford Green Party also issued a statement expressing concern over the situation.
It said: “We are deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Azad Kashmir, where unarmed protesters have reportedly been killed.
“We call for an immediate end to the violence, urgent de-escalation, the lifting of the communications blackout, and unrestricted access for independent media.”
For Bradford’s British Kashmiri community, the developments are being followed with particular anxiety because of the area’s longstanding links with Mirpur.
Generations of families who settled in Bradford maintain close relationships with relatives across Azad Kashmir, meaning events in the region are often felt locally through personal connections rather than distant headlines.
As calls grow for restraint and dialogue, political leaders in Bradford have united in urging a peaceful resolution while pressing the UK Government to remain actively engaged.
With reports from the ground continuing to emerge and independent verification of some claims still ongoing, many families across the district will continue watching developments closely, hoping for an end to the violence and reassurance that relatives caught up in the unrest remain safe.
