Khawaja Asif files complaint after knife threat, harassment in London

LONDON: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has filed a formal complaint with the Metropolitan police after being harassed and threatened with a knife during a train journey near Heathrow Airport.

The London Transport Police has confirmed they are investigating the matter after the footage was passed to the police even before the four officers visited Pakistan High Commission on Thursday afternoon to meet Khawaja Asif. The incident, which occurred on the Elizabeth Line around 3:30 pm on Monday, saw a group of three to four individuals approach Asif and harass him while he was on his way to Reading on Elizabeth Line. Only one man is heard in the video making references to being attacked with a blade. According to the defence minister, the individuals filmed him without permission, used abusive language, and made threats involving a knife. He also noted that he did not recognise any of the individuals involved.

Asif, who was in London for a private visit, informed the police about the threatening encounter and urged the London Transport Police to examine CCTV footage from the train to identify the suspects. He stressed that such harassment was not only a personal affront but also an embarrassment for the 1.7 million British-Pakistani citizens living in the UK.

He confirmed he was threatened with a knife attack in London on the Tube near Heathrow airport by a Pakistani man. “The report you aired on Geo News is right. I was threatened. The matter will be reported to the police. Some of the faces are recognisable. The video shows the faces.”

The minister expressed his dismay over the incident, calling it shameful and regrettable.

In London, Nawaz Sharif expressed regret over the incident, saying that such individuals have been “trained and groomed” for chasing the people. The PML-N chief slammed the individual who hurled abuses at him saying, “this is their fate”. He further said that Asif has always faced every difficulty with courage.