Counter-terrorism police investigating ‘highly targeted’ attacks on Pakistani dissidents in UK

Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command is investigating a series of “highly targeted” attacks on two Pakistani dissidents living in Britain which may bear the hallmarks of states using criminal proxies to silence their critics.One person has been arrested after a series of four attacks which began on Christmas Eve. One of the attacks involved a firearm.The attacks took place in Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire against two prominent supporters of the jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan.One of the victims told the Guardian that his attackers had appeared to be fair-skinned, white or wearing masks, and that he feared for his life.Britain’s Foreign Office has been criticised for failing to speak out about the attacks, with one victim saying those behind the attack were “mocking” the UK.The first two attacks took place on Christmas Eve. One occurred in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, when two men broke into a home of a dissident just after 8am and vandalised it.The other occurred at the Cambridgeshire home of human rights lawyer Mirza Shahzad Akbar, a former member of Imran Khan’s cabinet, who is a critic of Pakistan’s current regime.Akbar, 48, told the Guardian he was attacked just after 8am on Christmas Eve: “I opened the door and then a masked man started punching me, after asking ‘are you Shahzad Akbar?’ I must have got 25-30 punches on my face.“The man seemed trained to do what he was doing: proper footwork like a boxer, going only for my face …“My children and wife … were terrorised and screaming.”Akbar says he managed to push the attacker out of his house.Counter-terrorism officers took over the investigation from local police. Akbar says that on police advice he and his family moved out of their home and have gone into hiding. On 31 December, Akbar returned to the house for a short visit. Minutes after he left, the second attack took place.Akbar said: “Six minutes after my departure, two men were seen on the CCTV, faces covered. One man with a firearm shot straight into the front window; three shots were fired and the window was pierced through.”Another man tried to set the house ablaze by throwing a burning rag through the window, but neighbours came out of their houses to investigate the disturbance, causing the attackers to flee.There was a third attack on Akbar’s home on 10 January. Akbar said: “One man again entered the house perimeter, sprayed some chemicals on the outer wall and then broke windows with an iron bar. After the alarms started, he ran away.”Police say racist graffiti was sprayed on the home’s exterior.Akbar said he fears he was targeted because of his politics. “I am a Pakistani dissident living in exile here,” he said. “I am an open critic of the Pakistani regime, which is backed by the military.“I cannot say who did it. However, one thing is certain: it was a targeted attack and the people who attacked were probably hired by someone. It is a question of the UK police and government’s political will to find out who did it, and why.“Despite one arrest being made in this investigation, there was another attack on 10 January, which seems to give the impression that those behind it are mocking the UK police and government and their resolve to deal with such matters.”Akbar was the victim of an unsolved acid attack at his home in 2023. “They are trying to scare and intimidate me, and I am pretty scared,” he said. “I fear for my life and for my family’s lives.”Counter-terror officials have warned of increasing attacks in the UK by criminal proxies acting on behalf of states such as Russia, Iran and China, targeting people opposed to their regimes.Sources say Pakistan has not previously featured in such investigations, and neither have they involved the use of a firearm.In a statement, counter-terrorism policing London said: “Due to the apparently highly targeted nature of all three incidents they are being investigated by officers from CTP London.“On Monday, 5 January, a 34-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident that took place on 31 December. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted arson and possession of a firearm. He was arrested at an address in Great Dunmow, Essex and has subsequently been released on bail until a date in April, pending further inquiries.“At this stage, detectives retain an open mind as to any potential motivation behind any of the three incidents. Officers are also keeping an open mind as to whether the incidents are directly linked, and this remains an active line of inquiry being considered.”The Foreign Office said that because of the ongoing police investigation it would not comment.The human rights group Reprieve, which is supporting Akbar, said: “The government should publicly condemn these appalling attacks and make clear there is no space for violent intimidation on UK soil.“The silence so far is deafening, and risks sending a dangerous signal that this kind of thing will be tolerated. ”