Web Desk (MNN): Two ministers of state from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said on Friday that the Pakistani government has formally approached British authorities, requesting legal action over what it termed “inciteful” statements circulating on social media.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani confirmed the development, with Kayani stating that the video in question contained threats against the head of the armed forces.
Kayani also pointed to the involvement of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while Chaudhry refrained from naming any political party.
The video shows a woman, surrounded by individuals holding PTI flags, making a violent remark in which she wishes that a person be “blown up in a car,” without explicitly naming anyone.
Speaking on the matter, Tallal Chaudhry said Pakistan had officially written to the UK government and expected action in line with British laws and judicial procedures. He stressed that Pakistan reserves the right to pursue legal remedies against individuals who target its institutions.
Chaudhry said similar complaints had been raised in the past regarding the misuse of social media to incite hatred against state institutions and political figures, adding that video evidence of the incident was available.
“This is neither a political issue nor a matter of free speech,” he said, describing the remarks as a clear violation of international law as well as the UK’s Terrorism Act 2006. He emphasised that states are responsible for ensuring that individuals residing within their borders do not incite violence or rebellion against other sovereign countries.
He expressed concern over the specific reference to a car bomb, calling it a targeted and deliberate threat rather than a general remark. Pakistan, he said, had conveyed these serious concerns to the British authorities and would expect appropriate action.
Chaudhry reiterated that promoting violence or terrorism could not be justified as freedom of expression and warned that Pakistan had other options should the UK fail to respond.
Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani termed the incident “unacceptable” and “deeply unfortunate,” alleging that PTI had a pattern of promoting threats and violence under the guise of political activism.
He said the party had crossed all limits by allegedly threatening the army chief, calling it a serious national security issue rather than political dissent. Referring to past incidents, including May 9 violence, Kayani claimed PTI had repeatedly used politics as a cover for violent actions.
He said the government’s immediate priority was to seek legal action by the UK authorities but added that Pakistan was also considering other legal avenues.
Earlier this month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had said the government would pursue the repatriation of individuals from the UK involved in targeting Pakistan’s state institutions online. On December 4, Naqvi submitted extradition requests for former SAPM Shahzad Akbar and YouTuber Adil Raja, accusing them of spreading anti-state propaganda.
