A Pakistani diplomatic official’s shocking throat-slitting gesture from the balcony of the Pakistan High Commission in London sparked outrage during a tense face-off between Indian diaspora protesters and Pakistani counter-demonstrators on Friday evening. The confrontation, outside the mission at Lowndes Square, erupted as Indians protested Pakistan-backed terrorism following the deadly Pahalgam attack.
Videos circulating on social media, shared by Indian community groups, captured the official, identified as Colonel Taimur Rahat, Pakistan Army and Air Advisor, mocking protesters with a poster of captured Indian Air Force pilot Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, emblazoned with “Chai is Fantastic”—a jab at his 2019 captivity.
Standing beside a banner declaring “Pakistan stands with Kashmiris,” the official’s throat-slitting gesture was slammed as a brazen violation of diplomatic norms. “This shows their language, mindset. By doing this in London, they are exposing themselves to the world,” said Major General (Retd) PK Sehgal.
Also Read: United Against Terror! Rahul Leads Congress Candle March for Peace
The Indian protesters, led by groups like the Friends of India Society International (FISI) UK, brandished the tricolour and placards demanding Pakistan “End Terror on Kashmir.”
A FISI spokesperson condemned the official’s actions as “a barbaric throat-slitting gesture” reflecting “blatant hostility” and a “dangerous disregard for diplomatic norms and human decency.” They added, “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.”
Dubbed “All Eyes on Pahalgam,” the protest responded to the April 22 attack that killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, at Baisaran Meadow. The Resistance Front, linked to Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility.
Over 500 Indian and Indo-Jewish protesters chanted “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Pakistan Murdabad,” with one telling ANI, “They (Pakistan) have nurtured a terror factory, and because of which our 26 people were killed in Pahalgam.” An Indo-Jewish protester likened the attack to the 2023 Hamas assault on Israel, citing a shared threat of “Islamist radicalisation.”
Pakistani counter-protesters, blasting patriotic songs to overpower anti-terror slogans, intensified the standoff. The Metropolitan Police, heavily deployed, kept the groups apart, arresting one individual for racial abuse after a chase.
Also Read: Vaishno Devi Yatra Gets High-Tech Shield! Katra Command Centre to Launch in May