London, October 31, 2024 — Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Mohammad Faisal, announced that steps have been taken against individuals involved in an incident where the car of former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa was confronted by protesters in London. The former CJP was attending a prestigious event at Middle Temple when his vehicle was reportedly blocked and struck by a group of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists.
Ambassador Faisal described the incident as “extremely unfortunate” and assured that it would be addressed according to directives from the Pakistani government. “We’ll take it up,” he said, emphasizing the gravity of the attack, which disrupted the event held to honor Isa’s election as a bencher at Middle Temple, one of London’s historic Inns of Court.
Isa, the first Pakistani judge to achieve this honor, studied law at Middle Temple, following in the footsteps of his father, who was also an alumnus. The event, hosted by The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, recognized Isa’s contributions to the legal field following his recent retirement.
According to reports, a peaceful PTI protest was organized earlier in the evening by the party’s UK chapter, including leaders like Sahibzada Jahangir, Jahanzeb Khan, Zulfi Bukhari, and Azhar Mashwani, to express discontent over Isa’s elevation to the Bench. Approximately 80 people attended the protest, which concluded without incident.
However, around 10 individuals remained afterward and attempted to approach Isa’s vehicle as it left the venue at 10:20 p.m. The car, which bore diplomatic plates from the Pakistan High Commission, was blocked by a group led by activist Shayan Ali. Demonstrators allegedly attempted to open the car doors and shouted slogans against Isa, who was accompanied by his wife, Sarina.
The Pakistani High Commission in London has since pledged to cooperate fully with UK authorities to address the matter and prevent further disruptions of this nature.
