- Asif says he “will not be scared in any respect” after heckling incident.
- “I stroll in London for no less than eight kilometres every day.”
- Minister says he was harassed for round 10 minutes.
LONDON: Regardless of being heckled and threatened with a knife assault in London, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has mentioned he “will not be scared in any respect and can proceed strolling round London, alone”.
In an interview with Geo Information, Asif, who’s on a personal journey to London, mentioned: “I don’t take safety in Pakistan and wherever else. I stroll in London for no less than eight kilometres every day. I’m not intimidated. I’ll keep it up saying what I say and believing in what I do.”
The defence czar additionally revealed that he was harassed and threatened with a knife assault for round 10 minutes whereas travelling on the London prepare certain for Heathrow Airport.
“Solely a brief clip has been uploaded. There is just one risk of a knife assault in that clip. The individual filming and harassing me made a video for about 10 minutes. The precise video will not be lower than 10 minutes. In that, he threatened me with the knife assault no less than 4 instances. He clearly instructed me he needed to assault me with a knife.”
Asif mentioned he had filed a proper grievance with the Metropolitan Police after being harassed and threatened with a knife throughout a prepare journey close to Heathrow Airport.
He mentioned: “The police met me on the Excessive Fee and guaranteed me they’ll absolutely examine the matter. The great factor is the complete video was made from me beneath a digicam put in within the prepare part the place I used to be boarded with my cousin’s brother. We had taken the prepare from Bond Avenue to Studying, obtained on to the Heathrow prepare within the mix-up and obtained for the Studying prepare the place the movie ends. The verbal assault lasted for practically ten minutes. I don’t normally maintain myself again verbally and bodily however I confirmed restraint on this event, Alhamdulillah.”
The seasoned politician mentioned he had little question the individual threatening him was from the Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and added that the video was made viral by a PTI-affiliated account. Nevertheless, the PTI has denied any duty and its a number of key figures have condemned the heckling incident.
Asif mentioned he was pleased with the response of the police and hoped the individual can be delivered to justice quickly. “I’ve been coming to London since 1980. I’ve by no means confronted something like this earlier than. Slogans have been shouted at me. That is regular in politics and being public figures, we count on this however I’ve by no means been threatened with a knife earlier than in my life.”
The London Transport Police have confirmed they’re investigating the matter after the footage was handed to the police even earlier than the 4 officers visited the Pakistan Excessive Fee on Thursday afternoon to fulfill Asif.
The incident, which occurred on the Elizabeth Line round 3:30pm on Monday, noticed a gaggle of three to 4 people strategy Asif and harass him whereas he was on his technique to Studying on Elizabeth Line. Just one man is heard within the video making references to being attacked with a blade.
The defence minister expressed his dismay over the incident, calling it shameful and regrettable, because it provides to a troubling pattern of harassment confronted by Pakistani officers and political figures within the UK.
The latest instance of such harassment concerned former chief justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, whose car was attacked by a gaggle of PTI supporters in London final month.
Equally, Decide Humayun Dilawar, who sentenced PTI founder Imran Khan within the Toshakhana case, was additionally chased by PTI supporters in August 2023.