Pahalgam terror attack: Pak official makes throat-slitting gesture at Indian protesters

A Pakistani diplomatic official was caught on camera on Friday (April 25) making a threatening throat-slit gesture at Indian protesters who had gathered outside the Pakistan High Commission in London to condemn the terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

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There was a tense face-off between Indian diaspora groups who gathered to protest and counter-protesters outside the Pakistan High Commission. Indians were waving placards calling on Pakistan to “End Terror on Kashmir” alongside the Indian national flag.

Poster of Captain Abhinandan

In videos posted by Indian community groups on social media, the Pakistani official can be seen taunting them from the balcony of the mission building at Lowndes Square.

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He was holding a poster with a sketch of Captain Abhinandan Varthaman and the words “Chai is Fantastic” – a reference to the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot’s captivity in February 2019.

The official, standing next to a large banner reading “Pakistan stands with Kashmiris”, could be seen making a threatening throat-slitting gesture towards members of the Indian diaspora across the building.

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There was a strong Metropolitan Police security detail in place, with several officers lined up between both groups of demonstrators to ensure order.

Angry reactions

A member of the Indian diaspora told ANI news agency, “We Indians have gathered here to hold a protest against Pakistan. They (Pakistan) have nurtured a terror factory, and because of which 26 of our people were killed in Pahalgam. We have gathered to protest against it.”

“This is not just insensitivity – it is provocation. The Pakistani authorities have crossed every boundary of diplomacy and humanity. If Pakistan cannot condemn terror, they are complicit in it,” one of the protest organisers was quoted as saying by the news agency.

Former Jammu and Kashmir director general of police Shesh Paul Vaid hit out at the diplomatic official and called Pakistanis ‘Madrassa-chap’.

“All these Pakistanis are 'Madrassa-chhap' created by General Zia-ul-Haq. Whether it's an Army colonel, a diplomat, or a doctor – wherever they are, they are all 'Madrassa-chhap'. They have the mentality of 'Madrassa-chhap'. Gesturing that they will slit the throat of the people who are protesting peacefully,” Vaid told the news agency.

“Holding the Indian tricolour and placards reading ‘Stop Terrorism’, we are here to condemn the killing of innocents by Pakistan’s support of terrorism in Kashmir. We demand strict international action and urge the UK government to stand with India and reconsider its policy towards Pakistan,” said a spokesperson for the Friends of India Society International (FISI) UK.

“In a shocking and utterly deplorable display, a member of the Pakistani High Commission in the UK brandished a photo of India's Wing Commander Abhinandan and made a barbaric throat-slitting gesture during a protest over the Pahalgam attack — an act that reflects not only blatant hostility but also a dangerous disregard for diplomatic norms and human decency,” the spokesperson added.

One person arrested

The Pakistani counter-protesters had organised loudspeakers and were blaring patriotic songs in an attempt to drown out the Indian protesters’ anti-terror sloganeering and speeches.

At least one arrest was reported after a protester was chased down by some police officers and detained on the grounds of racial abuse.

The protest entitled “All Eyes on Pahalgam” was called in response to the April 22 attack, which killed 26 people in Pahalgam. A group named The Resistance Front, believed to be an offshoot of the banned Pakistan-linked Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.

(With agency inputs)