Is UK’s Pakistani-origin Shabana Mahmood Anti-India?

Shabana Mahmood’s elevation as Britain’s first female Muslim Home Secretary has stirred debate beyond the UK, particularly in India, where her past remarks on Kashmir are being closely re-examined.

Mahmood, born in Birmingham in 1980 to parents from Mirpur in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, has represented Birmingham Ladywood in Parliament since 2010. Before entering politics, she studied law at Oxford and practiced as a barrister.

She has held multiple senior roles, including Justice Secretary, where she advanced policies on prison population management and sentencing reforms. Her new appointment followed Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Cabinet reshuffle last week after Angela Rayner’s exit.

As Home Secretary, Mahmood has emphasized strict immigration enforcement. “Those who abuse our hospitality and break our laws will be sent back,” she declared while outlining her deportation plans.

Government insiders say her background allows her to deliver strong positions on immigration without facing the criticism that other ministers might encounter. Labour is under pressure over its handling of small boat crossings, with polls reflecting public dissatisfaction.

Mahmood’s record on Kashmir has raised concerns in India. She has described the territory as “India-occupied” and joined demonstrations outside the Indian High Commission in London in 2019 after New Delhi revoked Article 370. At that time, she called the move “a betrayal of the people of Kashmir” in a social media post.

In 2015, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s UK visit, Mahmood co-signed a letter with several MPs urging then–Prime Minister David Cameron to address the Kashmir dispute.

Mahmood has consistently aligned with pro-Palestinian groups. She has attended rallies and publicly supported the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. In 2014, she protested outside a Birmingham supermarket demanding it stop stocking goods from Israeli settlements.

However, Mahmood has also condemned Hamas. Following the October 7, 2023, attack, she told constituents she “unequivocally” rejected the assault on Israeli civilians and called for the return of hostages. She argued that terrorist actions undermined the Palestinian movement for statehood.

In early 2024, Mahmood told BBC Radio that both Israelis and Palestinians deserved self-determination, rejecting “one-state” proposals that left either community insecure.

Despite her support for Palestinian rights, Mahmood is expected to continue a hard line on domestic security issues. Defence Secretary John Healey said she would uphold the government’s ban on Palestine Action, an activist group designated as a terrorist organisation.

Police arrested more than 800 people during protests in London opposing the ban last week. Healey defended the crackdown, stressing that law enforcement must apply equally regardless of political cause.

Shabana Mahmood’s historic appointment has placed her at the centre of two debates: Britain’s internal struggles with migration and its external image on South Asian and Middle Eastern conflicts.