LONDON: Former adviser to ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, Shahzad Akbar, sustained serious injuries following an assault close to his home in Cambridge, according to statements from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Akbar himself.
As per detail, Shahzad Akbar described being targeted by a masked white attacker wearing gloves and protective clothing, which he believes indicates deliberate planning.”The assailant left me with a broken nose and a fractured jaw. I was woken up around 8 am by a doorbell. When I opened the door, a white man started punching me repeatedly. I tried to resist, and he initially left. However, moments later, he returned and assaulted me again, even filming and taking pictures,” Akbar explained.
He fell unconscious during the attack and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Akbar also confirmed that he has filed a police report against the attacker.
PTI officials condemned the incident, asserting that it underscores mounting concerns over the safety of political exiles in the UK. Akbar, who left Pakistan following the fall of PTI’s government in 2022, has been a vocal critic of the current Pakistani authorities and has faced legal challenges and accusations domestically.
“This violent act is not isolated; Akbar has previously been targeted, including surviving an acid attack at his Hertfordshire residence in 2023, which he claims was politically motivated,” PTI stated.
The authorities had closed the investigation into the acid attack, claiming that the attacker had not been identified or traced. The recent assault has intensified fears about the safety of Pakistani political figures living abroad.
