Fear for relatives and feeling of bias among Pakistanis in Britain

The first frantic response that Mohammed Rana, a British Pakistani, had on hearing the Indian Prime Minister's bellicose talk was to ring his relatives back home.

Mr Rana, 36, from Twickenham, south-west London, said tensions in the disputed territory had left him deeply distressed. "The first thing I did when I found out what was happening was pick up the phone but I have not managed to get though," said the Pakistani-born business analyst, who came to Britain at the age of 10. "People don't realise how devastating this kind of thing can be for those in the region and those of us in Britain with relatives there."

He understood why Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, had reduced the diplomatic presence in Pakistan to "protect British nationals" in the region. But he remained worried for his two sisters and extended family, who live seven miles from the border of Kashmir. He believes that the blame lies with the rise of Hindu fundamentalism, which he maintained was fuelling the bloodlust on the Indian side.

"Since 11 September and the fight that the US waged against 'terror', any country has a licence to take up arms against supposed extremist forces, as Israel has done in the Middle East and as India is doing in Kashmir. People seem to be getting on the 'fight against terrorism' bandwagon, which is really an excuse to start a war," he said.

Amnah Ahmed, a mother and nursery nurse, felt betrayed by the actions of Mr Straw and accused Britain of neglecting the plight of Kashmiris. "I think it shows you that despite the fact that Pakistan willingly backed the US and Britain in their time of need after 11 September, Britain is not prepared to give help back to the country when it is in a state of crisis. It is merely protecting its own and withdrawing from a problem that needs to be resolved," said Mrs Ahmed, 32, from Leicester.

She felt bitter at the news yesterday, which confirmed her suspicion that Western forces generally tended to side against the Islamic world.

Similarly, Liagat Ali, 43, a businessman from Teesside, felt that Mr Straw's decision would inevitably "cause chaos at a time when the Pakistani people need him to give them a show of support".

Mr Ali, who was born in the Kashmiri region of Mirpur, felt that General Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani President, had shown his commitment to eradicating extremist forces in the country. Mr Straw's decision was, therefore, a betrayal.

He was also deeply concerned for his 69-year-old mother, who is living near the disputed area, and said he would be urging her to move to Britain if war broke out.

However, Aneela Majaid, 38, an artist from central London whose parents live in Islamabad, was more bothered about the future.

She said: "I cannot say if this decision by Mr Straw will inflame the situation but what really concerns me is the economic situation of India and Pakistan if a war breaks out.

"I find myself asking the question, 'are they helping themselves to develop?' I think they have to address the problem to secure a better future and not dwell on history and who owns what strip of land," she said.