PTI removes Bradford protest video after Pakistan raises concerns of inciting violence with Britain

The British section of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has deleted a social media post showing footage of a protest outside the Pakistani consulate in Bradford, after the government accused a woman in the video of inciting violence against Defense Force Chief Marshal Syed Asim Munir and formally took up the matter with Britain.

The action came a day after the Foreign Office summoned Acting British High Commissioner Matt Cannell to Islamabad and briefed him on what he described as “incitement to violence” from British soil, urging British authorities to investigate the incident and take legal action under domestic law.

In a statement posted on

The party’s UK section said it did not believe the individual had directly incited the violence, but removed the post “with great caution to avoid possible misunderstandings”.

The statement stressed that the PTI “does not condone any illegal behavior of any nature” and urged its supporters and “independent citizens” to measure their words so as not to be misinterpreted.

The Bradford protest, held earlier this week, was one of several organized by PTI supporters abroad in solidarity with the party’s jailed founder, Imran Khan. Protesters gathered outside the Pakistani consulate waving party flags and chanting slogans criticizing the military rulers.

Video in the center of the row

A clip from the rally, posted online from the verified account @UKPTIOfficial, showed a woman addressing the crowd and referring to the army chief in the context of a potential car bomb attack – language that the government said crossed a red line by suggesting violence rather than simple political criticism.

Pakistani officials say the footage and its transcript were shared with British authorities, along with a formal complaint accusing the speaker and those who amplified the video of “incitement to terrorism, violence and the internal destabilization of a sovereign state.”

The original video has since been removed from PTI UK’s feed, but screenshots and replays are still circulating on social media, including reels and clips shared by journalists and news outlets cited by the government in its correspondence with London.

Approach in the United Kingdom and call for legal action

On Friday, the Foreign Office said it had lodged a strong protest with the United Kingdom over the “highly provocative” remarks and demanded that those responsible be identified, investigated and prosecuted under Britain’s anti-terrorism laws, arguing that calls for a car bomb attack did not fall within the scope of freedom of expression.

Authorities also called on the UK to take action against social media accounts allegedly involved in promoting violence against Pakistani state institutions, saying such activity could not be justified by demands for political asylum or exile.

Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, speaking to a private news channel, said the “car bomb scare” at the Bradford rally “crossed all limits” and “did not fall into the category of freedom of expression”, urging British authorities to open a criminal investigation.

The UK High Commission in Islamabad, in a brief statement carried by international media, responded that where a foreign government believes a crime has been committed, it should share relevant material with its police liaison, and any content that appears to contravene UK law may be reviewed by police and potentially trigger a criminal investigation.

PTI faces pressure at home and abroad

The controversy has added a new layer to the already tense relations between the PTI and the security establishment. In recent weeks, military spokespeople have publicly criticized Khan’s rhetoric, with one senior officer calling the former prime minister “mentally ill.” The PTI, for its part, accuses Field Marshal Munir of orchestrating what it calls politically motivated deals that kept its founder behind bars.

At the same time, some PTI supporters abroad say the woman’s remarks were emotional and metaphorical rather than an actual call for a terrorist attack, reflecting deep anger over the repression, disqualifications and treatment of Khan and his allies since the party was ousted from power in 2022.

Wider government campaign against overseas criticism

The move regarding Bradford is part of a broader government campaign to crack down on foreign-based critics who target Pakistani state institutions from abroad. Earlier this month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said authorities would seek the repatriation of Pakistanis in the UK, including YouTubers and former officials, accused of waging campaigns against the military and other state organs. He publicly warned that “the state will not spare” those who cross certain limits.

In a meeting with the British high commissioner in early December, Naqvi handed over extradition papers for former prime ministerial aide Shahzad Akbar and commentator Adil Raja, accusing them of spreading “anti-Pakistan propaganda” online – a sign that Islamabad is increasingly willing to use legal and diplomatic tools against voices it sees as threatening national security.

There is a fine line between protest and “incitement”

For Britain, this case tests how far political discourse in diaspora communities can go before triggering a criminal investigation. Under British law, protests and even harsh criticism of foreign governments are largely protected, but explicit threats of violence or glorification of terrorism may be contrary to anti-terrorism legislation. Whether British police decide that Bradford’s remarks meet that threshold will likely depend on how they assess the intent, context and broader pattern of messaging put forward by Pakistan.

For the PTI, the deleted post highlights the risks of social media mobilization that relies on raw, unfiltered images of emotionally charged gatherings. PTI UK now finds itself trying to balance a frustrated support base, keen to confront the military’s role in Pakistani politics, with the need to reassure British and Pakistani authorities that it does not condone violence.