Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed that the UK envoy was called in and formally conveyed Pakistan’s concerns.
“The demarche was issued after provocative statements were made against Pakistan’s civil and military leadership from British soil,” he said, adding that Islamabad had urged the British authorities to “hold responsible elements accountable in accordance with the law”.
However, in response to Pakistan’s protest over alleged threats made against top military leadership during the protest, the British High Commission has asked the Pakistani government to provide concrete evidence of any criminal offence committed on UK soil.
The British High Commission conveyed to Islamabad that policing and prosecution in the United Kingdom operate independently of the government. It clarified that if a foreign government believes a crime has been committed within British territory, it must submit all relevant evidence through the designated police liaison officer in the UK.
A spokesperson for the British High Commission said that any material found to be in violation of British law would be assessed by the police, and on that basis, criminal investigations could be initiated if warranted.
The spokesperson said that the UK follows established legal procedures and due process, and that law enforcement authorities would examine any evidence provided to determine whether it meets the threshold for action under British law.
It is pertinent to note that FO’s move followed public statements by two ministers of state from the ruling PML-N, who said Pakistan had formally written to UK authorities seeking action over “inciteful” remarks, particularly in reference to a video circulating on social media.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani confirmed the development in separate media interactions, with Kayani stating that “the head of armed forces was threatened” in the video. While Kayani named the opposition PTI in connection with the incident, Chaudhry did not.
The video shows a woman, surrounded by individuals holding PTI flags, making remarks wishing harm upon an unnamed individual, including saying that they should be “blown up in a car”.
Responding to questions on the matter, Chaudhry said, “Pakistan has formally written to the UK, expecting them to act according to their laws and justice system”.
He maintained that Pakistan had the right to pursue legal action against those “targeting its institutions”.
He recalled that similar concerns had been raised in the past regarding “the use of social media platforms to incite hatred against state institutions and political figures”, adding that “the footage of the incident is available”.
“This is not a political matter, nor one pertaining to the freedom of speech,” he said, terming it a clear violation of international law and British law, specifically citing the UK’s Terrorism Act 2006.
“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,” he stressed.
“What’s concerning is the specific mention of a car bomb blast, making it a targeted issue; it is not something generalised, it seems to be carefully planned.”
“It appears as if there is a larger plan involved, and Pakistan has raised these concerns,” he added. “Inciting terrorism or provoking people was not akin to freedom of expression.”
“You cannot have people in one state promoting terrorism against another sovereign state,” he said, expressing hope that the British government would take action, while warning that “Pakistan has other options as well” in case of non-compliance.
Minister of State for Finance Kayani said the incident shown in the video was “unacceptable” and “unfortunate”, accusing the PTI of spreading violence and threats “under the guise of politics”.
“We have repeatedly said that PTI spreads violence and threats under the guise of politics, justifies threats, and misuses freedom of speech,” he said, adding that the party had “crossed a limit” by “threatening the armed forces’ chief with murder under the guise of political protest”.
“That’s not politics[..] it’s unacceptable,” Kayani said, terming the PTI a “national security threat” and alleging that it had consistently used politics to cover for “violence”.
“Whether on May 9, using K-P police to attack soldiers, and threatening the army chief [ ] if that’s not a national security threat, what is?” he said.
When asked whether further steps were being considered, Kayani said: “First, we will urge the UK government to take immediate legal action and investigate the matter,” adding that the government remained open to “exploring other legal options”.