Violent group threatens to burn down Pak High Commission London

LONDON: The Pakistan High Commission London has come under attack again within a month as a group of protestors threatened to burn down the building and take off Pakistan’s flag from the premises.

The protest was organised by the National Equality Party Jammu Kashmir Gilgit-Baltistan and Ladakh (NEP-JKGBL) outside the Pak High Commission (PHC) here against the alleged “imprisonment of political workers and human rights activists” in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

During the protest, one protest leader, marching towards the gate of the PHC, was recorded on video as saying: “We can burn down this building.”

In a series of tweets, NEP-JKGBL Chairman Sajjad Raja wrote that the PHC called their “agents to disrupt the peaceful protest and the protesters were also threatened, harassed and verbally abused”. However, the video evidence, circulated by the protestors, clearly showed that some community members, who were visiting the premises for counsellor services, outside the building confronted the protestors. But the person actually threatened with violence was a security person of the PHC who had asked the protestors to stay within the allotted place for the protestors.

One visitor told this reporter that he was threatened with violence by three protest leaders. “I was verbally abused and threatened with violence when I asked the protestors why they wanted to burn down the Pakistan High Commission building and Pakistani flag.

“I raised slogan in favour of Pakistan for the obvious reason that it’s my country’s flag that was under an attack. I was there to get my identity papers done. I have nothing to do with the PHC staff,” he said.

Videos circulating on the social media show that one protest leader threw his fist very close to the face of a visitor, who raised the slogan in favour of Pakistan. The protesters left the demarcated area for protest and went across the road to hurl threats against the visitors from Pakistani community.

A source at Pakistan High Commission said that the threatening behaviour of the protestors obstructed normal working of the High Commission.

The source said: “We are aware that some groups have direct links with Indian intelligence. This group has been regularly protesting outside the PHC. Now they have turned violent too. We have informed the UK government.”

The source confirmed that police were present there in the beginning, but then left the scene. After the police left, harassment and threats started.

He shared: “The PHC has reported to the police and demanded strict action. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development (FCDO) is also being informed.”