Kesri Lehar UK & Scotland Urge Pakistan to Support UN Referendum on Punjab Independence

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

26 May 2025

Kesri Lehar UK & Scotland Urge Pakistan to Support UN Referendum on Punjab Independence

Call for action follows assassinations of Sikh activists and evidence of transnational repression

Kesri Lehar UK and Kesri Lehar Scotland have submitted an open letter to Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Minister for Minorities Affairs in Punjab, Pakistan, urging him to use his position to request that the Government of Pakistan formally support a United Nations-led, binding referendum on the independence of Indian-occupied Punjab.

The letter references the growing demand for self-determination by Punjabis, based on the Punjab independence map circulated by Sikhs for Justice. Under international law, such a referendum must include all native residents currently living in Punjab, regardless of religion or background.

The letter also raises serious concerns about the pattern of transnational repression against Sikh activists, pointing to the targeted killings of:

• Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada (June 2023)
• Avtar Singh Khanda in the United Kingdom (June 2023)
• Paramjit Singh Panjwar in Lahore, Pakistan (May 2023)

“These assassinations have caused deep alarm within the Sikh and Punjabi communities globally,” said representatives from Kesri Lehar. “It is time for international bodies to act decisively against repression and in favour of democratic rights.”

The organisations are calling on the Government of Pakistan to:

• Publicly back a UN-facilitated referendum on Punjab’s future
• Demand international investigations into the killings of Sikh activists
• Protect those engaging in peaceful political advocacy

Kesri Lehar UK and Kesri Lehar Scotland stand ready to work with global partners to ensure that the voices of the Punjabi people are heard through democratic and lawful means.

For media enquiries please email: kesrileharuk@hotmail.com

Kesri Lehar UK and Kesri Lehar Scotland