PML-N supporters protest against Imran Khan outside Jemima Goldsmith's London residence

Published April 17, 2022
PML-N supporters protest outside Jemima Khan's home in Richmond, London, UK, Sunday. — DawnNewsTV screengrab
PML-N supporters protest outside Jemima Khan's home in Richmond, London, UK, Sunday. — DawnNewsTV screengrab

PML-N supporters on Sunday staged a protest in London outside the residence of Jemima Goldsmith, the ex-wife of former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

Footage shared on social media showed a throng of PML-N supporters waving flags, holding banners and placards, and chanting slogans in favour of their party supremo Nawaz Sharif and against Khan.

Police contingents deployed outside Jemima's home were also seen in the footage.

Separately, PTI supporters also took out demonstrations at London's Hyde Park.

Footage shared by the PTI also showed a protest outside Nawaz's Avenfield residence.

PML-N leader Abid Sher Ali had on Thursday first announced that a protest would be held outside Jemima's London home. He had also shared an image bearing her full address and used derogatory language against Khan.

"Protests outside my house, targeting my children, anti-Semitic abuse on social media ... It’s almost like I’m back in 90s Lahore," Jemima had said in response to Ali.

Ali had responded to Jemima, holding her former husband responsible for the protest. "He (Imran) has ordered attacks and protests outside [the] homes of his political opponents. He incites hate, homophobia and terrorism on [a] daily basis," he had said.

The PML-N leader had said that the protest would be "peaceful and non-violent".

PTI, PML-N supporters face off in London

Supporters of the PML-N and the PTI had faced off outside Nawaz's London residence last Sunday, as one group had celebrated and the other had protested Khan's ouster after a successful no-confidence vote. A heavy police contingent had stood in a chain between the two groups as they had chanted slogans against each other’s leaders.

The morning had started with a few PML-N supporters gathering outside Nawaz’s Avenfield House residence to celebrate. A stone’s throw away in the green expanses of Hyde Park, hundreds of PTI supporters demonstrated against Khan's ouster.

Khan's UK spokesperson Sahibzada Jahangir had in a video message called on the party’s supporters to gather at the park and then march to the US embassy to register their protest against alleged “foreign interference by America in Pakistan”.

A message circulating in PTI WhatsApp groups had said the purpose of the demonstration was to raise their voice against “regime change” and the Supreme Court’s decision; and to demand free and fair elections through electronic voting as well as the right of overseas Pakistanis to vote.

At the PTI protest, both speakers and members of the crowd had condemned the alleged US role in Khan's removal, with many saying they believed the letter and conspiracy the PTI chairman spoke of was a reality. Several of Khan’s supporters were also critical of the military establishment and blamed it for his exit.

Although the plan for the PTI crowd was to march to the US embassy at 2pm, hundreds of people had instead turned towards Park Lane and decided to take their protest to Avenfield House. Police had raced ahead of the PTI demonstrators to create a divide between PML-N workers who were already outside Nawaz’s residence.

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