GUWAHATI: Colonel Taimur Rahat, a senior Pakistani military official, was filmed making a throat-slitting gesture towards protestors at a peaceful demonstration by over 500 members of the Indian community outside the Pakistan High Commission in London.
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The incident took place on Friday, April 25, as the protest was organised in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people were killed at the Baisaran meadow.
Videos widely shared on social media captured Colonel Rahat, the Pakistan Army and Air Advisor in London, making the threatening gesture while holding a placard depicting Indian Air Force officer Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman.
The act drew condemnation from various quarters. Many have criticised the lack of civility displayed by a serving Pakistani military official, likening it to the treatment of peaceful protestors in Balochistan.
Relatedly, protestors carried Indian flags and placards denouncing terrorism and held Pakistan responsible for harbouring terror groups. One organiser also criticised the Pakistan High Commission for playing loud celebratory music during the demonstration, terming it an act of insensitivity.
Members of the Jewish community in London had joined the protest in solidarity. Drawing parallels between the Pahalgam attack and the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, a participant described the incidents as consequences of Islamist radicalisation and praised India’s efforts to combat terrorism.
Organisers called on the UK government to summon Pakistan’s High Commissioner and demanded a public condemnation of the Pahalgam attack.
