Indian protesters have called for justice for the victims of a recent terrorist attack in Kashmir
A group of Indians staged a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission in London, condemning the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people earlier this week.
The protesters expressed their condolences for the loss of innocent lives and called for justice for the victims. They chanted slogans denouncing terrorism and criticizing Pakistan for allegedly harboring and supporting terrorist groups, as New Delhi claims.
The Resistance Front, which is suspected of having ties to the Pakistani-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack on Thursday. This prompted India to accuse Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism, which Pakistan has denied.
In a video of the protests shared on social media, a Pakistani official standing next to a large banner reading “Pakistan stands with Kashmiris” is seen making a threatening gesture towards the Indian protesters.
In the footage, Pakistani Army Colonel Taimur Rahat is seen holding a poster of Indian Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan after his fighter jet was shot down during a dogfight with a Pakistan Air Force jet. The incident occurred in 2019, when New Delhi conducted an airstrike on a terrorist camp run by the Pakistani-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed following the Pulwama terrorist attack in Kashmir which killed 40 Indian troops. Islamabad later handed over the pilot to India at the Attari-Wagah border.
VIDEO | A Pakistani diplomatic official was seen making a throat-slitting gesture towards Indians who were protesting outside the Pakistan High Commission in London over the Pahalgam terror attack.
The latest terrorist attack in Kashmir has further deteriorated the already strained relations between India and Pakistan. Following the attack, India expelled Pakistani diplomats, closed its land border with the neighboring country, and canceled visas for Pakistani citizens.
New Delhi also announced on Wednesday the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty “until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
In a reciprocal move on Thursday, Pakistan suspended key bilateral agreements and cross-border routes. It also closed its airspace to all Indian-owned and operated airlines and declared Indian defense, naval, and air advisers in Pakistan persona non grata, effectively expelling them from the country.
On Friday, Islamabad condemned India’s “misinformation campaign against Pakistan” following the attack in Pahalgam, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch said in a statement, warning of the risks to stability in the region. She also “cautioned against Indian attempts to escalate tensions and reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to counter any misadventure.”
