Former SAPM Mirza Shahzad Akbar attacked at UK residence

WEB DESK: Former special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM), Mirza Shahzad Akbar, and accountability adviser under the PTI government, was reportedly attacked at his residence in Cambridge, United Kingdom, leaving him with serious injuries, including a fractured nose and jaw. Akbar, who has been living in self-imposed exile in the UK since April 2022, confirmed the assault in messages to Dawn, saying he had been “bruised and fractured” and had been treated in hospital while the police launched an investigation.

According to reports, the assailant, described as a masked white male in his mid-twenties to thirties, entered Akbar’s home on December 24 and repeatedly struck him in the face, filming the attack before fleeing the scene. British authorities are currently investigating the incident.

This is not the first attack on Akbar in the UK. In November 2023, he was targeted with acidic liquid at his Hertfordshire home, an assault he publicly linked to pressure from security agencies regarding the Al Qadir Trust case against PTI founder Imran Khan. Akbar has previously filed legal action in the UK against the Pakistani government over the acid attack and sent notices to the Pakistan High Commission, though the Foreign Office rejected his claims of state involvement at the time.

The latest assault has renewed concerns about the safety of Pakistani political exiles in the UK, particularly those facing ongoing legal scrutiny at home. Akbar remains in hospital recovering from his injuries while the investigation continues.