The Azad Kashmir Blackout: A Human Rights Crisis Demanding Dialogue

Darkness Over Azad Kashmir

For more than three days now, Azad Kashmir has been plunged into silence. Electricity cut. Mobile signals dead. Internet blocked. Media restricted. Entire towns and villages are cut off from the outside world. Families cannot call loved ones. Children sit in dark homes. Hospitals operate without stable power. Businesses are paralysed.

At Kashmir Welfare Foundation, we have not been able to contact our own teams on the ground for days. The blackout has crippled communication, leaving us blind to the needs of families who depend on our support.

This is not just a political decision. It is a humanitarian crisis.

When Silence Becomes Suffering

Blackouts hurt the most vulnerable first.

• Mothers cannot reach doctors when their children fall ill.
• Students cannot study, their futures put on hold by silence.
• Labourers lose wages as businesses remain closed.
• Families cannot call their loved ones to know if they are safe.
• Patients in hospitals suffer when power cuts interrupt treatment.

In times of unrest, people need connection and transparency, not darkness and isolation. Blocking communication does not restore calm, it deepens mistrust and fuels resistance.

Protest Is a Human Right

Across Azad Kashmir, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators are on the streets. They march not for privilege, but for survival, for affordable flour, for fair electricity prices, for justice and dignity.

Protest is not a crime. It is a fundamental human right.

We call on the government to respect the right to peaceful assembly. Suppressing voices by cutting internet or silencing media only increases frustration. A strong nation listens to its people; it does not mute them.

At the same time, we appeal to the protesters: remain peaceful and disciplined. Avoid damage, avoid clashes. Riots weaken the cause and bring suffering to ordinary families. The strength of this movement lies in dignity, patience, and unity.

Restore Communication, Restore Trust

We respectfully urge the government of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan to take the following urgent steps:

1. Restore electricity immediately. Power is a basic need. Without it, food spoils, children freeze, and hospitals struggle.
2. Turn on mobile networks and internet. Families must be able to call each other. Aid teams must be able to work. Students must be able to learn.
3. Allow media to report freely. Transparency brings trust. Blackouts bring only suspicion and anger.
4. Open dialogue with protest leaders. Deadlock serves no one. Dialogue and compromise can protect both lives and dignity.

The people of Azad Kashmir are not asking for luxuries. They are asking for rights that every human being deserves.

A Humanitarian Face to the Crisis

Behind every news headline about protests or blackouts lies a family struggling to survive.

• A widow sitting by candlelight, praying her son returns safely from the protests.
• A father unable to call the hospital as his child struggles with illness.
• A farmer who cannot buy flour because prices have doubled.
• An orphan boy who dreams of studying but has no electricity to see his books.

These are not distant stories. They are the daily reality of Azad Kashmir.

And this is where the diaspora, especially in the UK plays a vital role.

The Role of the Diaspora: Turning Concern Into Action

For Kashmiris living in the UK, the blackout is not just a headline. It is a personal wound. It reminds us of our families back home, and our duty to stand with them in their darkest hour.

Solidarity means more than words. It means action.Every Second Counts: Support Our Ambulance Project

In the chaos of protests and blackouts, one thing remains certain — lives must be saved.

Our ambulance is on the frontlines in Azad Kashmir, rushing the injured to hospitals. Whether it is a young protester hurt in the streets or a police officer caught in the clashes, our duty is the same: every life matters.

Alongside this, our first aid team is working tirelessly on the ground, treating wounds, stopping bleeding, and giving immediate care that can mean the difference between life and death.

But we cannot do this alone. Every journey our ambulance makes, every patient our medics treat, is only possible because of your generosity. £10 per day was our running cost on an average day. However, Our ambulance are doing 2 to 3 times as much journeys as normal. We are providing first aid and medical treatment to more people on scene.

Thats why we need your help now more than ever before. Your donation keeps the sirens sounding, the stretcher moving, and hope alive for families in crisis.

👉 Donate Now to the Ambulance Project and help us save lives on the streets of Azad Kashmir.

The diaspora cannot lift the blackout, but it can light up lives through aid.

Hope in the Midst of Darkness

This blackout will end one day. What matters is how Azad Kashmir emerges from it.

Will it emerge with deeper mistrust, more suffering, and greater wounds? Or will it emerge with a renewed commitment to dialogue, rights, and humanity?

That choice lies with both the government and the people.

We call on leaders to choose dialogue over suppression. We call on protesters to choose peace over confrontation. And we call on the global Kashmiri community to choose solidarity and action.

Call to Action

Even in darkness, we can be a light for Kashmir. While protests continue and negotiations stall, families still need food, water, and safety.

Stand with the people of Azad Kashmir through your Zakat, Sadaqah, or Regular Giving. Support the Emergency Relief Campaign to deliver life-saving aid to families facing hunger and uncertainty.

Together, we can show that every Kashmiri life matters.

FAQs

1. Why has Azad Kashmir been placed under blackout?
The blackout was imposed during ongoing protests, cutting electricity, mobile signals, and internet. The aim was to control unrest, but it has caused severe humanitarian suffering.

2. How are families affected by the blackout?
Families cannot contact loved ones, children cannot study, hospitals struggle without power, and aid workers cannot reach those in need.

3. Is protesting a right in Azad Kashmir?
Yes. Peaceful protest is a fundamental human right. Both government and protesters must ensure that demonstrations remain non-violent.

4. What is Kashmir Welfare Foundation doing during the blackout?
We continue to mobilise resources for food packs, water projects, and emergency relief, but communication cuts have disrupted our team’s ability to reach everyone.

5. How can I support Kashmir during this crisis?
The most effective way is through donations: Zakat, Sadaqah, Regular Giving, or the Emergency Relief Campaign. These directly help families in crisis.