Watch: Pakistan Defence Attaché makes throat-slitting gesture at Indian protesters in UK

Colonel Taimur Rahat, Defence Attaché at Pakistan's Mission in the United Kingdom, sparked outrage on Friday after he was filmed making a throat-slitting gesture toward Indian protesters outside the Pakistan High Commission in London.

The protesters had gathered peacefully to denounce the Pahalgam terror attack that killed over two dozen civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.

The incident unfolded during a demonstration by members of the Indian diaspora, many of whom carried banners and called for justice for the victims of the Pahalgam attack.

Rahat was seen holding a placard featuring Indian Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman before publicly gesturing to slit the throats of the protesters. Video footage of the act quickly spread across social media, triggering widespread condemnation and calls for Rahat’s immediate recall.

Observers and netizens described the gesture as "sick," "disgusting," and a "stark reminder of the lack of civility among Pakistan's military and diplomatic figures."

The act was viewed not just as a threat to the protesters, but also as emblematic of a broader pattern of intimidation linked to Pakistan’s handling of dissent.

The London protest was one of several global demonstrations organized by the Indian diaspora after the Pahalgam attack, which has further escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.

More than 500 members of the Indian and Jewish communities in the UK participated, waving Indian flags, chanting slogans, and urging the UK government to take diplomatic action against Pakistan.

One organiser said, "This is not just insensitivity—it is provocation. If Pakistan cannot condemn terror, they are complicit in it."

Protesters also criticised the Pakistan High Commission for playing loud celebratory music during the demonstration, calling it "a tone-deaf and disgraceful act that added insult to injury."

An Indo-Jewish protester told ANI, "We support India because we face the same enemy: Islamist radicalisation. What happened in Pahalgam reminded us of the Hamas attack on Israel."

Following the attack, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, closed the Attari land border, expelled Pakistani nationals, and ordered a reduction in diplomatic staff on both sides.