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Kesri Lehar UK & Kesri Lehar Scotland.
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:
“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:
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.
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Kesri Lehar UK and Kesri Lehar Scotland
Distributed by Pressat