A protest organised by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee against alleged ‘Vote Chori’ in India saw the participation of Pakistani nationals, with Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) flags spotted at the gathering in London on Saturday, October 17. Several videos circulating on social media showed Pakistani flags among the protesters, raising questions about the presence of Pakistani nationals at a protest focused on India’s electoral process.
Rathee had called on his supporters to gather near the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Parliament Square in London, United Kingdom, to protest against claims of vote theft and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protesters also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Pakistani reporter seen near Dhruv Rathee
Videos shared on social media showed people waving Pakistan and PoK flags during the protest. In some posts, Indian flags were clearly seen lying on the ground.
Several Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals were also reportedly present at the gathering. The presence of Pakistani flags at a protest focused on Indian electoral issues drew attention on social media, raising questions about the participants’ intentions and the message behind their presence.
Farid Ahmed (Qureshi), a Pakistani national and UK-based correspondent for Pakistan’s ARY News since 2014, was seen standing close to Dhruv Rathee at the October 17 gathering near the Mahatma Gandhi statue.
🚨 SHOCKING: Pakistani ARY News Reporter and PoK Flags Spotted at Dhruv Rathee’s London Protest Farid Ahmed (Qureshi), a 🇵🇰 Pakistani national and 🇬🇧 UK-based correspondent for ARY News (Pakistan) since 2014, was seen standing close to Dhruv Rathee at the October 17 protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, London. Several other Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals were also reportedly present. Social media videos and posts showed Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) flags being waved at the gathering, while some Indian flags were reportedly seen on the ground.
— Beats in Brief 🗞️ (@beatsinbrief) October 18, 2026
Pakistani man expresses support for protest
Another man named Amir Hashmi, who identified himself as Pakistani, also expressed support for the protest. He shared a video on his Instagram handle, amir.hashmi22, saying that the Modi government could not divide India and Pakistan through politics.
While the video appears to be an older one, possibly from August 2026, his social media post expressing solidarity with the protest is recent.
The presence of Pakistani nationals and PoK flags at the London gathering has sparked discussion on social media. Although the protest focused on India’s electoral process and called for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, the participation of people from Pakistan has brought additional attention to the event.
