A silent protest by the Indian expat community outside the Pakistan High Commission in London on Friday turned violent after a senior Pakistan Army official was captured on video making a threatening sign to the protesters. The viral clip features Colonel Taimur Rahat, who works as the Pakistan Army and Air Advisor, dragging his hand across his throat while staring at protesters.
More than 500 members of the Indian and Jewish communities had converged to demonstrate against the April 22 Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. Demonstrators hoisted Indian flags, held up placards accusing Pakistan of backing terror outfits, and shouted slogans demanding justice. The event aimed to raise awareness and push for diplomatic consequences.
“This is not just insensitivity—it is provocation,” stated one of the protest organizers, criticizing the Pakistan High Commission for playing loud celebratory music during the protest. Organizers labeled the act “tone-deaf and disgraceful,” saying it worsened the pain of those mourning the attack.
An Indo-Jewish protester told ANI, “We support India because we face the same enemy: Islamist radicalisation. What happened in Pahalgam reminded us of the Hamas attack on Israel.”
The Indian government has taken significant retaliatory steps following the Pahalgam massacre. These involve suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down the Attari land border, and directing Pakistani citizens to depart from India by May 1. Both India and Pakistan are also cutting the size of diplomatic personnel at their High Commissions.
The London incident has caused outrage among diaspora communities, who are urging the UK government to investigate Colonel Rahat’s act and take proper diplomatic action. The video has now become the focus of increasing concerns regarding the conduct of foreign diplomats and heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
