ISLAMABAD  -  The federal government on Wednesday said it would register a case and revoke citizenship of those overseas Pakistanis including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists who have allegedly attacked former chief justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and his family during their stay in London.

It further said national identity (ID) cards and passports of such attackers would be blocked. Legal action would be taken against those assailants who not only attacked Isa but also the official vehicle of Pakistan’s High Commission in London, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement quoting Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

The development comes hours after video footage went viral on social media, showing some protesters shouting and bullying Isa while travelling in the official vehicle.

Earlier, many PTI leaders and activists had gathered outside London’s Middle Temple to protest against Isa for his alleged controversial role during his stint as the top judge of Pakistan.

The party leaders such as Zulfi Bukhari, Sahibzada Jahangir and former MNA Maleeka Bokhari had also made speeches at the protest venue.

The former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Isa who retired on November 25 was attending an event at Middle Temple – one of the four Inns of Court representing lawyers’ associations in the United Kingdom – where he was called to the Bench.

The interior ministry in its announcement said interior minister Naqvi has ordered the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to take immediate action to identify the attackers through the available video footage. He said a first information report (FIR) would be registered in Pakistan for further action.

Naqvi stated that the attackers’ national ID cards and passports would be blocked. He added that immediate action would be taken to revoke their citizenship after formally getting approval from the cabinet.

 “No one would be allowed to carry out such attacks,” he said, adding that the vehicle of the high commission has been attacked and “we cannot remain silent on this incident.” He also questioned why security was not provided to the former chief judge even though he was receiving threats.

The order of interior minister to block ID cards as well as passports and revoke citizenship is surprising for many as almost all these protestors are British citizens. As UK and Pakistan have a formal agreement allowing Pakistanis to have dual citizenship by retaining their parent country’s nationality, this remains a question how such decisions would be effective and practical.

The opposition PTI strongly reacted to the statement of the interior minister dubbing it as “ridiculous and foolish.”

A spokesman of the party said that the minister should have consulted with some learned lawyer before making an announcement to revoke citizenship of protesting overseas Pakistanis. “Such decisions of blocking ID cards or passports and revocation of citizenship are bound by the law and constitution and not at the discretion of the minister,” he said, noting this reflected how much the ruling clique is “illiterate” or unaware.

The spokesman said such decisions violating law and constitution severely damage Pakistan’s democratic face before the entire world. He added that courts would decide the matter if someone has committed a crime.