Deputy Leader of Rochdale Council and elected Labour Party Councillor Daalat Ali was offloaded yesterday evening from a flight returning to the UK at Lahore Airport. Airport authorities informed him that his name was on the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) control list, meaning he could not travel.
Daalat Ali arrived in Pakistan two weeks ago with an official delegation led by the Mayor of Rochdale Council. Upon his arrival at Islamabad Airport, security personnel had also detained him for some time.
Daalat Ali originally hails from Rajdhani, Kotli (Azad Kashmir) and has lived in the UK for decades. He is an elected Labour councillor and Deputy Leader of Rochdale Council; however, his true identity lies more in literature than politics. He is a renowned writer in the Pahari language and has authored more than half a dozen Pahari fiction collections and novels.
There is deep concern among British Kashmiris and within his circle of associates over such treatment of an elected British public representative.
Officially, nothing has been clarified regarding why his name was placed on the FIA's control list. However, it is reported that his name was added to the list due to his support for demands concerning fundamental rights in Azad Kashmir and his vocal stance against human rights violations.
There is deep concern among British Kashmiris and within his circle of associates over such treatment of an elected British public representative. The Manchester Evening News has already published a story on this matter, and following his removal from the flight yesterday evening, the issue is expected to draw the attention of mainstream British media today.
A note: In Greater Manchester's official records, his name is registered in English as Councillor Daalat Ali; use this spelling in English versions or references. If any statement is issued by the FIA, the Pakistani Foreign Office, or Daalat Ali himself, include it before the final paragraph.
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