Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally issued a demarche to the United Kingdom over threats made against Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir during a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest outside the Pakistani consulate in Bradford.

The move underscores Islamabad’s concern over foreign-based political activism targeting senior military leadership.

FO spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi confirmed that UK Acting Head of Mission Matt Cannell was handed the demarche — a diplomatic protest — over the event organized by PTI in the UK. A video circulated on PTI UK’s official account showed a female speaker allegedly threatening a car bomb attack on Field Marshal Munir, echoing the 1988 plane blast that killed former military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq.

According to officials, PTI’s UK platform was actively used to mobilize protesters, who reportedly issued highly provocative and objectionable language against the CDF. Death threats were also made, prompting serious concern from the Pakistani government about the use of foreign soil to incite violence within Pakistan.

The Foreign Office shared that the UK authorities were handed both the video and its transcript, stressing that the content constituted “explicit incitement to murder and glorification of violence against the senior military leadership of a UN Member State.” The letter warned that such messaging deliberately targeted audiences inside Pakistan with the intent of provoking unrest, street violence, and confrontation with state institutions.

Officials emphasized that political activism does not extend to calls for assassination or civil violence, and that freedom of expression cannot be used as a shield for promoting terrorism or destabilization. Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns about individuals and groups using UK territory for militancy, separatism, and anti-state activities, but this latest incident is being treated as a significant escalation.

Deputy Head of Mission Matt Cannell was summoned to Islamabad in the absence of British High Commissioner Jane Marriott. Pakistani authorities urged the UK to take strict legal action against those responsible and stressed that international norms must be upheld to prevent foreign soil from being misused to threaten Pakistan’s national security.