Iqbaal Abdi
The Green Party has adopted a motion recognising British Kashmiris as a distinct ethnic group, alongside a call for UK support for self-determination in Kashmir. The motion was approved at the party’s Spring Conference on March 28.
It highlights how Kashmiri identity is currently recorded in UK data. The Office for National Statistics allows write-in identification, but Kashmiri is not a standard census category and is usually grouped under “Pakistani” or “Other Asian” in published figures.
The motion calls for more consistent recognition across official data, including local authority monitoring, NHS systems and education records, arguing it would help identify inequalities in health, education and discrimination affecting British Kashmiris. Estimates place the community at 200,000 to 300,000, though it is not separately recorded in official statistics.
This is set against the backdrop of other smaller communities, such as Gypsy or Irish Traveller groups, estimated at around 70,000 people in England and Wales, being recognised as distinct ethnic categories in census data.
In addition, the policy supports the recognition and protection of Kashmiri heritage and cultural identity within public bodies, cultural institutions, and local authorities in England and Wales. In accordance with previous Green Party policies on improving access to public service for communities experiencing marginalisation due to their identity, the newly passed policy reaffirms support for British Kashmiris and encourages programmes to strengthen community cohesion.
Azhar Ahmed, who put forward this motion, said this policy is a historic moment for British Kashmiris. “For too long, our communities have been overlooked in data, in public services, and in policy. The decision is about recognition, visibility, and action to tackle inequality.”
The policy also sets out the UK foreign policy position on Jammu and Kashmir. It recognises Jammu and Kashmir as disputed territory that should be decided peacefully under democratic practice and international law, reflecting the will of its people.
The policy states that, for years, Kashmiris have endured suffering at the hands of multiple entities in their struggle for self-determination. This landmark policy recognises the importance of reaffirming their right to self-determination and calls on the UK government to advocate for an end to human rights violations by all state and non-state actors, with demilitarisation consistent with protecting civilian life.
The UK government has long framed the conflict as a ‘bilateral issue’ that should be resolved between India and Pakistan, with due consideration of Kashmiri voices. However, this new policy calls on the government to centralise Kashmiri self-determination in resolving the dispute.
The policy has also called on the government to advocate for international human rights organisations’ to access the region and a restoration of civil liberties, media freedom, and freedom of assembly.
Dr. Rabia Khan, a member of the Green Party, said, “This policy reflects our core values: human rights, justice, and international cooperation. It puts the UK on the side of dignity, democratic accountability, and a just peace.”
The Green Party also acknowledges the historic role the UK has played in creating this conflict during the partition of the subcontinent in 1947. Given its historical responsibility , the policy calls on the UK to facilitate multilateral diplomacy, encouraging renewed UN engagement and supporting dialogue involving the diaspora, civil society, and peace-building organisations.
Finally, the policy recognises the importance of the British Kashmiri diaspora in contributing to UK public life and commits to empowering their voices in policy relevant to them.
Feature photo: Zack Polanski, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales (Credit: Greenparty.org.uk/cC)Iqbaal Abdi, Politics & Intl Relations Graduate
