Colonel Taimur Rahat’s threatening gesture during a peaceful protest by the Indian community sparks outrage amid rising global condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack.
London [UK], April 26:
In a shocking escalation of tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan’s military attaché in the UK, Colonel Taimur Rahat, was filmed making a throat-slit gesture toward peaceful Indian community protestors outside the Pakistan High Commission in London on Friday.
The protest, attended by over 500 members of the Indian diaspora, was organized to condemn the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, including one Nepali citizen. Protesters carried Indian flags and banners, demanding justice for the victims and accountability for those responsible.
However, the peaceful gathering took a disturbing turn when Colonel Rahat, serving as the Pakistan Army and Air Advisor at the High Commission, was captured on video making a menacing throat-slitting gesture toward the crowd—a gesture widely viewed as a violent threat.
Outrage only grew when protestors reported that the Pakistan High Commission played loud, celebratory music during the protest. “This was not just insensitive, it was provocative,” said one of the organizers. “While the world mourns innocent victims, Pakistan’s officials displayed shocking inhumanity and utter disregard for diplomacy.”
A member of the Indian diaspora said the community had come together to protest the “terror factory” nurtured by Pakistan, which they hold responsible for the attack. An Indo-Jewish protester also joined, drawing parallels between Islamist radicalisation in India and Israel, referencing the October 7 Hamas attack and declaring solidarity with Indian victims.
“India and Israel face the same enemy. This terror is fed by the Pakistani Islamist regime. We will always support India,” he said, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s counter-terror efforts.
The Indian community called on the UK government to summon Pakistan’s High Commissioner for an explanation and demanded that Pakistan publicly condemn the attack and end terror sponsorship. They also urged Britain to apply diplomatic pressure to ensure the perpetrators and their backers are held accountable.
Meanwhile, India has already initiated retaliatory diplomatic actions. These include closing the Integrated Check Post at Attari, suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals, and instructing them to leave the country within 40 hours. Additionally, India has suspended its participation in the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, intensifying pressure on Islamabad.
With Colonel Rahat’s gesture now going viral online and sparking global outrage, diplomatic relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors face further strain.