LONDON: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) supporter and TikToker Gulfam Hussain has been charged with stalking and causing fear to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his grandson Zakaria Hussain, the Westminster Magistrates’ court heard.
Gulfam pleaded not guilty as he was told by the prosecution that he had caused fear to Nawaz last year and then to Zakaria, son of Hussain Nawaz and Nawaz’s grandson by going outside the Avenfield flats.
The prosecution told the court that he used his TikTok live to encourage violence and stalking of Nawaz Sharif and his family.
Gulfam was released on bail with conditions not to go near Nawaz or his family, not encourage violence and not step inside the banned area around Avenfield flats.
He was presented before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charged him with issuing threats of violence to the Sharif family members, stalking and harassment over the course of the last eight months. His case will now be heard at a Crown Court. He will be released from the Wandsworth Prison on Tuesday with a security bond of £2000, provided by Tariq Mahmood.
Only three supporters attended the court for Gulfam along with his solicitor Mahtab Aziz and a barrister.
On Thursday, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charged activist Gulfam with issuing threats of violence to the Sharif family members and for carrying out the act of violence.
He was arrested last week when he breached the police conditions by coming near the Sharif family flats on the day Nawaz reached London for his current trip to the UK capital.
The original complaint to the police was made by Khurram Butt, PML-N UK’s Youth Wing leader. He alerted the police about Gulfam’s presence near the protest outside the flats.
The police immediately arrested Gulfam and found tiny stones in his pockets. Gulfam was ordered by the police previously not to carry stones or pebbles and not throw them at the Sharif family properties or any person. He got bail within 24 hours but issued threats again when he went live on TikTok.
On 17 January this year, Scotland Yard arrested him for the first time and released him on bail but banned him from going anywhere near Avenfield flats where members of the Sharif family live.
He was caught throwing tiny stones at the Avenfield flats during live TikTok broadcasts – where he threatened to harm Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former PM Nawaz and other members of the Sharif family including a threat to blow up the Park Lane flats.
He had threatened speaking to his TikTok followers that he would practically “drag” members of the Sharif family on London streets and that he would “avenge” if Imran Khan was harmed in Pakistan.
PTI UK has said that it has nothing to do with the actions of Gulfam. PTI UK President Imran Khalil said: “We have always held our protests peacefully. We have never encouraged violence and our organisation has never been involved in any act that violates laws of this country. Individuals and group not following the PTI policy are responsible for their own actions. Gulfam was part of PML-N till last year and started doing PTI campaign on his own.”
He is a trained chef but quit his job after finding fame on TikTok.