London, June 9 -- UK-based Kashmiri author, political analyst and human rights advocate Shabir Choudhry has written to British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, urging the UK government to take a more active role in addressing what he described as a deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan.

In a letter addressed to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Choudhry expressed concern over reports of increased security deployments, alleged use of force against demonstrators, arrests of political activists, restrictions on freedom of expression, communication blackouts and limitations on independent media access in PoJK.

According to the letter, more than 20,000 security...