incident of harassment, verbal abuse, and knife threats
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif filed a report with London police on Thursday following an alleged incident of harassment, verbal abuse, and knife threats.
The minister reported facing “knife murder threats” and harassment during a train journey. According to Khawaja Asif, the incident occurred on November 11 at approximately 3:30 PM while he was traveling on the Elizabeth Line to Reading during a private visit with a relative.
He stated that a group of three to four individuals harassed him, recorded him without his consent, used abusive language, and issued threats involving a knife. The London Transport Police are currently investigating the incident.
Khawaja Asif noted that he did not recognize the individuals involved and urged authorities to use CCTV footage to identify them. He condemned the incident, describing it as shameful and regrettable, particularly for the 1.7 million British-Pakistani citizens living in the UK.
A viral video on social media, shared on Wednesday, showed the defence minister being heckled outside a London station. An unidentified individual, who had allegedly filmed him on the train, followed him after he disembarked, shouting profanities and making knife-related threats.
The minister remains in London and is set to deliver a speech at Oxford University in the coming days.