Harrow councillor joins parliamentary campaign over detention of activists by Pakistani authorities

Pressure is mounting on Pakistani authorities over the detention of prominent political activists in Gilgit-Baltistan, as campaigners and elected representatives in the UK call for urgent action over alleged human rights abuses.
Representing the interests of her constituents, Arise leader and Harrow councillor Pamela Fitzpatrick (photo) joined a delegation to the Pakistan High Commission in London to deliver a letter (3 June) calling for the release of Awami Action Committee Gilgit-Baltistan (AAC-GB) chairman Ehsan Ali and several of his colleagues, who remain detained on terrorism-related charges.
Supporters of the detainees argue the group has campaigned on community welfare issues and operated peacefully, and claim anti-terror legislation is being used against what they describe as legitimate political activism.
The delegation, which included Labour MP John McDonnell and representatives of the Free Ehsan Ali Campaign, raised concerns over the treatment of the detained activists and reports regarding Ali’s health while in custody.
Their letter states that the arrests have attracted international attention from trade union organisations, civil society groups, human rights campaigners and elected representatives. It calls on the Pakistani authorities to release the detained AAC-GB members, drop the charges against them, respect democratic rights in Gilgit-Baltistan and engage in dialogue with campaign representatives.
Fitzpatrick criticised the response they received at the High Commission, claiming officials refused to meet the delegation directly and communicated only from behind a closed door.
“I was concerned that the High Commission would not allow us to hand the letter to a member of staff and spoke only from behind a door,” she said. “This is not usual behaviour of a High Commission. If this is the behaviour in London to a Member of Parliament, what must be happening to Ehsan Ali in jail?”
The case has now been raised in the UK Parliament through an Early Day Motion tabled by John McDonnell. The motion expresses “grave concern” over the detention of Ali and fellow AAC-GB members, describing the charges against them as politically motivated and calling on the UK Government to raise the matter with Pakistani authorities.
The motion also highlights concerns raised by international humanitarian organisations and calls for the release of the detained activists.
Fitzpatrick urged MPs from across Parliament to support the initiative. “Ehsan Ali’s only ‘crime’ has been to campaign peacefully for better conditions for people, including securing flour subsidies for those facing food insecurity, negotiating improved access to electricity and essential services, and advocating for healthcare and educational provision in underserved communities,” she said.
Campaigners say the detentions raise wider concerns about freedom of expression, political participation and democratic rights in Gilgit-Baltistan, and have pledged to continue raising the issue in the UK and internationally.