Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) UK leader Shayan Ali, alongside his mother Sadaf Mumtaz Malik, led a physical attack on the car of former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, outside London’s Middle Temple as Isa was leaving the venue.
PTI UK had organized a protest at the Middle Temple in opposition to the institution’s decision to honor Isa with a bench position following his recent retirement. As Qazi Faez Isa’s vehicle—provided by the Pakistan High Commission—departed from the Middle Temple’s exit around 10:20 PM, protestors, led by Shayan Ali and his mother, began hitting and kicking the car, joined by others, including Aisha Ali Qureshi, Sadia Faheem, Faheem Khan, Noman Hussain, and Ijaz Ali, according to diplomatic sources.
In a video circulating online, Shayan Ali claimed, “Mr. Qazi Faez Isa lowered his head, but we caught him. His car struck a protester, and we plan to file a complaint against him and the police. One protester was hit, which is a violation of human rights. We promised to catch Justice Isa, and we did.”
Aisha Qureshi added, “Qazi Faez was hiding his face. He’s disgraced Pakistan, and today, we disgraced him.” Sadia Faheem echoed this, saying, “If he’s hiding his face, it means he’s done something wrong.” Following the incident, PTI activists celebrated, with Shayan Ali asserting, “Qazi Faez Isa was hiding from us. We caught him. We will continue to confront anyone like him, even if they come to the UK. This is justice for Imran Khan.”
The Pakistan High Commissioner in the UK announced that charges would be filed against those involved in the attack, calling the incident “unfortunate” and condemning the hooliganism, saying, “These individuals don’t represent Pakistan.”
Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, also denounced the assault on Isa’s car and ordered NADRA to identify the attackers through video footage, promising that an FIR would be filed in Pakistan. Naqvi also stated that the attackers’ ID cards and passports would be blocked, with further action on citizenship revocation to be proposed to the cabinet.
A PTI UK representative distanced the party from Shayan Ali, claiming, “Shayan Ali is not acting on behalf of PTI. He stayed after the official protest ended at 7 p.m. for his own self-promotion. PTI UK condemns violence and was not involved in this attack.” The spokesperson accused Ali of misusing PTI’s name for social media attention.
The incident unfolded after Justice Isa became the first Pakistani judge elected as a bencher at Middle Temple, one of London’s prestigious Inns of Court, which recognized his career with an honorary position. Isa, a Middle Temple alumnus, attended the ceremony rescheduled to October 29 after his October 25 retirement. The Middle Temple, along with Gray’s Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, and Inner Temple, is one of London’s historic legal institutions that trains law students and admits them to the legal profession.
