By Admin 
Mirza Shehzad Akbar: Mirza Shehzad Akbar, a close aide of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and accountability advisor during his tenure, has been attacked in Britain. This attack took place near his home in Cambridge city of Britain, where masked attackers suddenly attacked him. In the attack, several punches were hit on Akbar’s face, due to which his nose was broken in two places and there was a hairline fracture in the jaw. Seriously injured Akbar has been admitted to the hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly condemned this attack and described it as completely planned. According to the party, the attacker was wearing a mask, gloves and overcoat, which clearly shows that the attack was planned in advance. PTI claims that this attack was carried out at the behest of Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, because Mirza Shehzad Akbar has been openly criticizing him for a long time.
Attack took place after viral speech
This attack has happened at a time when a recent speech of Akbar was becoming increasingly viral on social media. During a demonstration outside the Pakistan High Commission in London, Akbar had made a scathing attack on Army Chief Asim Munir. In his speech he had said that for the last three and a half years, Munir has been running Pakistan through fear and terror. Akbar had alleged that our houses were attacked, our family members and leaders were kidnapped and all kinds of atrocities were done to intimidate us.
He said that if these efforts to spread fear had been successful, people would not have been on the streets in large numbers today and Imran Khan’s sisters would not have been sitting on dharna outside Adiala jail. This means that those spreading fear have failed. Akbar had sarcastically said that the real fear now lies in the person who even today wears a bulletproof jacket under his military uniform. PTI says that this speech became the reason for this attack and it is being described as a part of the ongoing repression against critics. The party has demanded a fair and complete investigation from the British police.
Extradition attempts and past cases
Mirza Shehzad Akbar has been living in self-exile in Britain since the fall of Imran Khan’s government in 2022. The Pakistan government considers him an accused in many cases and recently efforts for his extradition have intensified. In December, Pakistan Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi had handed over extradition documents to British authorities. These include cases related to National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other investigating agencies. Pakistani court has also declared Akbar a fugitive.
This is the second time the attack has taken place
This is the second attack on Mirza Shahzad Akbar in Britain. Earlier in 2023, there was an acid attack on his house in Hertfordshire, due to which he suffered severe burn marks on his face, head and hands. Even at that time, Akbar had accused the Pakistani government, although later the British police closed the investigation into that case.
Human rights organizations expressed concern
Akbar’s supporters and PTI leaders have described the attack as an example of the Pakistani military leadership targeting critics living abroad. Human rights organizations have also expressed concern over this incident and said that incidents of cross-border repression to suppress political dissent are increasing.
The British police have started investigating the attack and CCTV footage of the area and other evidence have been secured. After the attack, Mirza Shahzad Akbar has said that he is definitely injured, but is not discouraged and will continue the fight for transparency and accountability.