• Distances itself from ‘threats’ to the military leadership at Bradford demo
• Party’s UK chapter deletes post

ISLAMABAD: The PTI has distanced itself from a speech delivered by a woman during a protest in the United Kingdom, after a video shared on social media by the party’s UK chapter showed demonstrators apparently threatening Pakistan’s military leadership.

A video posted on PTI UK’s official X account on Dec 23 showed protesters gathered outside the Pakistani consulate in Bradford, surrounded by people holding PTI flags — among them a woman who apparently “openly threatened” the military leadership.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the speech delivered by the woman had “no connection whatsoever” with the party. He added that the woman neither held any position within PTI nor had any affiliation with it.

“Therefore, the PTI completely disowns her rhetoric and emphasises that it has never endorsed such irresponsible and inflammatory statements from any party office-bearer,” he said.

Mr Akram stated that the views expressed, the language used, and the tone adopted in the speech did not reflect the PTI’s official stance, political ideology, or vision.

“The PTI, as a matter of principle, strongly opposes violence, hate speech, incitement, inflammatory rhetoric, and the use of unethical or indecent language in political discourse,” he said, adding that the party firmly believed in a democratic, constitutional, and peaceful political struggle.

Post deleted

Earlier in the day, PTI’s UK chapter deleted the post from its X account, saying it had removed the video as it featured a citizen’s “metaphorical remarks” against the military leadership.

It added that it did not endorse unlawful behaviour of any kind and advised “independent citizens” to “measure their remarks to avoid misunderstandings”.

“Although we do not believe the individual incited violence, the post was deleted in an abundance of caution to prevent potential misunderstanding, and [for] legal safeguarding of the individual and her rights,” it said.

“The PTI remains firmly committed to non-violence and the rule of law, in accordance with the guidance of Imran Khan,” it said.

“It is also pertinent to state that we hope that this citizen in question will not be subjected to any act falling under transnational repression and the British government will ensure her safety, well-being, and her right to due process.”

In his statement, PTI’s Sheikh Waqas Akram vehemently condemned the treatment meted out by the Punjab government and its institutions to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi, his cabinet, parliamentarians, and accompanying delegation during their visit to the province.

He said the visit, which began on Dec 26 in Lahore and other districts as a “peaceful political engagement to meet party workers and discuss public issues”, was “deliberately turned into an exercise in political vendetta”.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2025