Overview

• Colonel Taimur Rahat, Pakistan's defense attache in the UK, was filmed making a throat-slitting gesture toward Indian protesters in London, holding a placard featuring Indian Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman.
• The protesters, part of the Indian diaspora, were demonstrating outside the Pakistani High Commission in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 27 tourists and a local guide.
• The attack, claimed by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot The Resistance Front, has led India to impose sanctions on Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty.
• Netizens and public figures have widely condemned Col. Rahat's gesture, calling it a violation of diplomatic norms and an act of incitement.
• The incident has further strained India-Pakistan relations, with historical tensions and recent provocations drawing global attention to the escalating conflict.