A new briefing circulated to parliamentarians ahead of today’s Westminster Hall debate calls on the UK Government to take a more assertive stance on human rights and self-determination in Jammu and Kashmir.

The aide mémoire, prepared by the Jammu Kashmir Civil and Freedom Alliance (JKCFA), warns that serious rights violations persist across all parts of the disputed region, including Indian-administered Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, as well as Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). It cites mass detentions, restrictions on free assembly, the use of anti-terror laws against activists, and recent incidents in AJK where protests over economic conditions were met with lethal force.

The document argues that the UK’s long-standing position, treating Kashmir as a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan, falls short of recognising Kashmiris’ direct right to self-determination. It highlights that more than one million UK residents have family origins in the region and remain deeply affected by ongoing instability.

Among its recommendations, the briefing urges MPs to press the Government to condemn abuses by all sides, support international investigations, scrutinise arms exports to India and Pakistan, and consider targeted sanctions against officials implicated in human rights violations. It also calls for a parliamentary inquiry into the UK’s role in the dispute and the appointment of a Special Envoy for Human Rights and Development in Kashmir.

A draft motion included in the paper reaffirms the right of Kashmiris to determine their own future and encourages the UK to raise the issue at the United Nations, Commonwealth and G7.

The Westminster Hall debate on Government Support for Self-Determination in Kashmir takes place this afternoon and is expected to draw contributions from MPs representing large Kashmiri-heritage communities across the UK.