British counter-terrorism police are investigating a series of targeted attacks against two Pakistani dissidents living in the United Kingdom, raising fresh concerns about the safety of political exiles on British soil, according to Dawn News.
According to a report by The Guardian, Scotland Yard’s counter terrorism command took over the case after four attacks that began on Christmas Eve in Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire. One suspect has been arrested, and at least one of the incidents involved the use of a firearm.
The victims are outspoken supporters of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Pakistan. One of the men told the newspaper that he fears for his life, saying the attackers appeared to be “fair-skinned, white, or wearing masks,” suggesting the assaults were carefully planned.
The first two attacks occurred on Christmas Eve. In Chesham, Buckinghamshire, two men broke into the home of a dissident shortly after 8 a.m. and caused damage to the property. On the same morning, another attack took place at the Cambridgeshire home of Mirza Shahzad Akbar, a human rights lawyer and former member of Khan’s government.
Akbar, 48, said he was attacked moments after opening his front door. A masked man asked him to confirm his identity and then repeatedly punched him in the face. Akbar described the attacker as trained and focused, striking with the precision of a boxer. His wife and children, he said, were left screaming in terror.
Following the assault, police advised Akbar and his family to leave their home and go into hiding. On December 31, Akbar briefly returned to the property. Minutes after he left, two masked men were seen on security cameras. One fired several shots through the front window, while another tried to start a fire by throwing a burning cloth inside. The attackers fled when neighbors came outside.
A third attack took place on January 10, when a man sprayed chemicals on the house and smashed windows with an iron bar. Police later confirmed that racist graffiti had also been sprayed on the building.
Akbar believes he was targeted because of his political views. He said he has been an open critic of the Pakistani government and is living in exile. He also revealed that his home was the site of an unsolved acid attack in 2023.
British officials have warned of a rise in attacks carried out by hired criminals acting on behalf of foreign states. The UK Foreign Office has faced criticism for not publicly addressing the case, as concerns grow over the safety of dissidents seeking refuge in Britain. __Photo Courtesy Khyber News
