Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi was heckled by a group of overseas Pakistanis apparently supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in central London.
The video clips of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed that a group of alleged PTI-affiliated Insaf Students Federation (ISF) members surrounded the PUC chairman while he was walking at the Edgware Road in central London.
The group followed Ashrafi for around 10 minutes, engaging him in a heated exchange.
“I was attacked and harassed when I was on Edgware Road going for dinner with my female members,” Ashrafi said while speaking to Geo News exclusively.
Condemning the act as “highly condemnable”, he said that he will not be cowed by this “thuggish behaviour”. “These people have caused a huge deal of damage to Imran Khan and PTI,” he added.
Ashrafi reiterated his support for Pakistan’s current leadership, saying government policies had enhanced the country’s global standing.
He also praised Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, describing him as an influential figure for both Pakistan and the wider Muslim world. “I am proud that I defended my leadership both civilian and military.”
