CAMBRIDGE: Former Special Assistant to Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, Mirza Shahzad Akbar, was injured after being attacked by unknown individuals at his residence in Cambridge, according to foreign media reports.
Shahzad Akbar confirmed that he was assaulted and subsequently taken to the hospital, where doctors found that he had sustained multiple injuries, including fractures. He also reported the incident to local police, who have launched an investigation.
According to a post shared by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the attack occurred in the early morning hours at Akbar’s home. The party stated that the assailant repeatedly punched him in the face, resulting in fractures to his nose and jaw.
PTI senior leader Junaid Akbar condemned the attack, calling it “deeply unfortunate and reprehensible.” In a statement, he said that breaking someone’s nose and jaw reflects the severity of the violence and added that using force to suppress political dissent is an act of cowardice.
He urged overseas Pakistanis to raise their voices against such acts and prayed for Shahzad Akbar’s swift recovery.
Mirza Shahzad Akbar has been living in self-imposed exile in the UK since April 2022. This is not the first attack against him. In November 2023, he was also targeted at his residence in Hertfordshire, where a masked individual allegedly threw acid at him.
Local police have collected evidence and stated that investigations into the latest incident are ongoing.
