Pakistan rejects UK diaspora and MPs' remarks on AJK

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday rejected what it described as unwarranted comments by some members of the diaspora in the United Kingdom and queries raised by certain British lawmakers about the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), saying such remarks showed disregard for the historical background of the issue.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said it had taken note of comments by some diaspora figures in the UK regarding AJK and advised them not to interfere in the internal affairs of Pakistan and AJK. The ministry also said those individuals should instead make a constructive contribution in the country where they live.

Addressing remarks by some British members of parliament, the Foreign Office said the observations reflected a lack of awareness of the issue's history. Pakistan was a sovereign and democratic republic that believed in non-interference in other states' internal matters and expected the same principle from others.

The statement also said the governments of Pakistan and AJK recognised citizens' constitutional rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and democratic participation. At the same time, vandalism, damage to public services, including hospitals, and the killing of innocent civilians and law enforcement personnel could not be allowed under any circumstances.

Call for UK action

The Foreign Office urged the British government to educate and caution those supporting proscribed organisations to avoid such actions and to respect the democratic process, judicial decisions and the rule of law under the constitutions of AJK and Pakistan.

The statement came amid unrest linked to the newly proscribed Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). At least seven civilians were killed in clashes between police and JAAC protesters in Rawalakot a day earlier. The clash followed rising tensions over the death of a trader who was allegedly shot during a confrontation with law enforcers on Friday night.

Azad Kashmir police said four law enforcement personnel were martyred and more than 20 police and security officials were injured after activists of the banned JAAC opened fire in Rawalakot. The two reports differed on the casualty details, with one focusing on civilian deaths and the other on losses among security personnel.

Crackdown after ban

Both reports said the AJK government declared JAAC a proscribed organisation on Friday ahead of its planned June 9 protest, saying it was engaged in terrorism and had acted in a way prejudicial to the state's peace and security.

Authorities launched a crackdown on Saturday and detained scores of the group's leaders and activists from different areas, while AJK police sealed the organisation's head office, according to Radio Pakistan. Officials had accused demonstrators of attacking the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalakot.

The outlawed group had earlier organised large protests over economic issues and political rights, and some of those demonstrations turned violent, causing deaths during clashes with law enforcement in May 2024 and September 2025.

Mobile data services in AJK remained suspended, restricting the flow of information from the region. Authorities had advised intending visitors to postpone travel to AJK until June 20 because of security concerns surrounding the planned protests, while Islamabad had sent federal paramilitary forces to support the region's overstretched police force.