UK police cite inability to trace suspects in Shahzad Akbar acid attack case

The United Kingdom (UK) police closed the investigation into the alleged acid attack on former prime minister Imran Khan's aide on accountability Shahzad Akbar, citing inability to trace any suspects, it was reported on Tuesday.

According to Express News, despite Akbar's claims of being the victim of an acid attack in Britain, the authorities found no concrete proof to support his allegations.

In November 2023, Abkar, who served as the ex-premier Imran's chief of Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) alleged that an unidentified individual threw acid at him while he was at his residence in the UK which resulted in injuries to one side of his face, and body.

The claim prompted the British police to launch an investigation.

The investigation, which spanned six months and involved scrutiny of CCTV footage surrounding the PTI leader's residence, yielded no trace of the attack.

As per the British police, the review of surveillance footage did not reveal the identity of any suspicious individuals or activity.

The reports also indicate that British authorities had informed Akbar of the ongoing investigation three weeks prior to the former advisor accusing the Pakistani government and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of carrying out the attack.

Questioned about the conclusion of the UK police investigation, Akbar told a private media channel, "I have publicly named those accountable for the assault on me, orchestrated at the behest of the Pakistani government."

Read PTI's Shahzad Akbar departs for Dubai

"The criminal investigation may have concluded but I have recourse to civil course of action which I have already initiated," ex-PM's aide said.

Akbar initiated legal action against the Pakistani government over the acid attack in England last year that he said has “left him scarred”.

The former minister alleged government involvement and served legal documents to the Pakistan High Commission in London, naming several officials as responsible for the attack.

Last week, on May 2, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch refuted Akbar's allegations against Pakistani institutions as "preposterous".

“We categorically reject the allegations made by Mr Shahzad Akbar against the state of Pakistan and its institutions and agencies,” the FO added.

Akbar is a key figure in the Al Qadir Trust case against the PTI chief. Last year, in March, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) widened the scope of investigation against Akbar, seeking a record of his assets and properties.

The former SAPM was also accused of being involved in the alleged misappropriation of Rs50 billion in a case related to a private housing project unearthed in the UK.