PTI UK Deletes X Post on Bradford Protest After Pakistan Lodges Demarche with UK
ISLAMABAD: A controversial video shared by PTI UK that included provocative remarks against Pakistan’s military leadership prompted the Foreign Office (FO) to issue a demarche to acting British High Commissioner Matt Cannell, officials said.
The video, posted on PTI UK’s official X account on December 23, showed participants at a protest held outside the Pakistani consulate in Bradford making inflammatory statements, including threats directed at the country’s military leadership. The post was later removed.
According to officials, the demarche urged the UK authorities to identify, arrest, investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for issuing direct threats from British soil.
The Foreign Office stated that such actions are unacceptable and must be dealt with under UK law. In response, the UK High Commission said Pakistan should share relevant evidence with British police, who would assess whether the material violates UK legislation and warrants a criminal investigation.
Following the deletion of the post, PTI UK said on X that the video featured what it described as “metaphorical remarks” made by an independent individual and clarified that the party does not endorse unlawful behaviour. It also urged people to exercise caution in their language to avoid misinterpretation.
The UK chapter of PTI also raised concerns over the detention conditions of party founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, citing international attention on their treatment.
Meanwhile, state ministers in Pakistan said the government had formally written to British authorities seeking legal action in connection with the incident. Former PTI leaders also called on the party to clearly condemn the remarks to prevent potential damage to Pakistan-UK relations.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between the Pakistani government, the military, and PTI supporters, who have voiced concerns over Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s prolonged isolation under what they describe as inhumane and undignified prison conditions.
