By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan formally protested to Britain on Friday over threats made against its top military leader during a demonstration outside its consulate in Bradford, England, summoning the British acting high commissioner to deliver a diplomatic rebuke and urging London to hold those responsible accountable under its laws.
The move came amid escalating tensions between the government and supporters of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, led by the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, whom officials in Islamabad have accused of fomenting unrest from abroad. A video circulating on social media, uploaded by an account associated with PTI’s British chapter, showed a woman at the protest this week invoking violence against Field Marshal Asim Munir, the chief of army staff, without naming him directly. Surrounded by demonstrators waving PTI flags, she said the target should be “blown up in a car,” echoing the 1988 plane crash that killed the military dictator Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.
Pakistani officials described the remarks as explicit incitement to murder and a violation of international norms, pointing to Britain’s Terrorism Act of 2006 as grounds for action. “The demarche was issued after provocative statements were made against Pakistan’s civil and military leadership from British soil,” said Tahir Hussain Andrabi, a spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Office, confirming that the acting head of the British mission in Islamabad, Matt Cannell, had been called in because the high commissioner, Jane Marriott, was out of the country.
In a letter delivered earlier that day to British authorities in Islamabad and London, Pakistan expressed “grave concern regarding a serious and unprecedented misuse of British territory for activities that amount to incitement to terrorism, violence, and internal destabilisation of a sovereign state.” The letter highlighted how PTI-linked platforms in Britain had amplified the video to audiences in Pakistan, with the intent of provoking “unrest, street violence, and confrontation with state institutions.”
It added that such actions breached multiple international laws and strained bilateral ties, noting Pakistan’s past complaints about militants and separatists operating from British soil. “This content is neither rhetorical nor political,” the letter stated. “It constitutes explicit incitement to murder and the glorification of violence against the senior military leadership of a UN Member State.”
Two Pakistani ministers elaborated on the government’s stance in interviews with local media, framing the incident as part of a broader pattern of PTI aggression. Tallal Chaudhry, the state minister for interior, said the video represented a “clear violation of international law and the UK law,” stressing that it was “not a political matter, nor one pertaining to the freedom of speech.” “Every state is responsible for ensuring its citizens, or those who have taken asylum, or those residing there, don’t act to incite rebellion or violence against other sovereign states,” Chaudhry said. He added that the specific reference to a car bomb made the threat “targeted” and suggested a “larger plan involved.” and expressed hope that Britain would act but warned that Pakistan had “other options as well” if it did not comply.
Bilal Azhar Kayani, the state minister for finance, called the incident “unacceptable” and “unfortunate,” accusing PTI of crossing limits by “threatening the armed forces’ chief with murder under the guise of political protest.” “We have repeatedly said that PTI spreads violence and threats under the guise of politics, justifies threats, and misuses freedom of speech,” Kayani said.
He labeled the party a “national security threat,” citing past events like the May 9 riots, in which PTI supporters allegedly attacked military installations. In response to questions about further steps, Kayani said Pakistan would first press Britain for an investigation but was prepared to explore “other legal options.”
The protest and video underscore the Pakistani government’s growing frustration with PTI’s overseas activities, which officials say exploit social media to undermine state institutions while evading domestic accountability. Earlier this month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi vowed to repatriate YouTubers from Britain accused of targeting the state, declaring, “The state is clear. We will not spare them.”
On Dec. 4, Naqvi met with Marriott to submit extradition requests for Shahzad Akbar, a former aide to Khan, and the YouTuber Adil Raja, both accused of spreading anti-Pakistan propaganda online. British officials have not publicly commented on Friday’s diplomatic protest or the letter. PTI also did not immediately respond to the allegations.
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