LONDON: There was a face-off between Indian diaspora groups who gathered to protest Pakistan-backed terrorism in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and counter-protesters outside the Pakistan High Commission here, which saw scenes of a Pakistani diplomatic official making threatening gestures.
In videos posted by Indian community groups from Friday evening’s protest on social media, the Pakistani official can be seen taunting them from the balcony of the mission building at Lowndes Square.
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 the Indian protesters across the building.
There was a strong Metropolitan Police security detail in place, with several officers lined up between both groups of demonstrators to ensure order.
The tense face-off saw Indians waving placards calling on Pakistan to “End Terror on Kashmir” alongside the Indian national flag.
“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.
"Join us to stand for unity, justice and humanity and protest against terror attacks on innocents," read the flyers outside the Pakistan High Commission in London.
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 Kashmir's 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.