A series of “highly targeted” attacks against two prominent Pakistani dissidents living in Britain have led to three arrests and ongoing investigations by counter-terrorism police. The incidents occurred in Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire, with the victims being outspoken supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
One of the victims, human rights lawyer Mirza Shahzad Akbar, a former member of Khan’s cabinet, reported being punched up to 30 times by a man who knocked on his door and checked his identity. Akbar, 48, said he is now in hiding after the attack, fearing for his life and that of his family.
“They are trying to scare and intimidate me, and I am pretty scared. I fear for my life and for my family’s lives,” Akbar told The Guardian.
The counter-terrorism police (CTP) took over the investigations from local police due to the “highly targeted nature” of the attacks, which began on Christmas Eve. Three men have been charged so far:
– Karl Blackbird, 40, from Bedworth, charged with conspiracy to assault occasioning actual bodily harm in respect of two alleged attacks on 24 December.
– Clark McAulay, 39, from Coventry, charged with conspiracy to assault occasioning actual bodily harm over an incident in Chesham.
– Doneto Brammer, 21, from Wood Green, London, charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to commit arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, in connection with the alleged attack on 31 December at Akbar’s home in Cambridgeshire.
All three men will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
Police have also arrested a 34-year-old man in Essex, who was released on bail, as well as five more people, including three of those now charged, in a series of raids across London, Essex, and the Midlands.
CTP detectives say they are keeping an “open mind” as to the potential motivation behind the incidents and whether they are potentially linked. Akbar, who describes himself as a “Pakistani dissident living in exile,” believes the attacks were “a targeted attack” and that the perpetrators were “probably hired by someone.”
The investigations into these incidents remain ongoing, with police urging vigilance and cooperation from the public to help uncover the truth behind these “highly targeted” attacks on Pakistani dissidents in the UK.
