UK asked to expedite Shahzad Akbar’s handover to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The government has requested the United Kingdom to speed up the process of handing over Shahzad Akbar, a proclaimed offender, to Pakistan.

Shahzad Akbar is an accused in many serious cases in Pakistan. Shahzad Akbar, former prime minister Imran Khan’s adviser on accountability, fled the country in 2022 with the change of government.

On the orders of Interior Ministry, the FIA contacted Interpol to issue a red warrant to bring Shahzad Akbar to Pakistan. In early May, a team of senior officers had met the Interpol officials asking them to hand over Shahzad Akbar, who is wanted by Pakistan, and other accused to Pakistan. A year has passed but no major progress could be made in this case.

Interpol has been contacted in connection with the case registered against Shahzad Akbar at the Secretariat Police Station under various criminal charges. Sources said the investigators of the case registered under Sections 420, 468, 471, 385, 396, 389, 500 and 506 of Pakistan Penal Code had requested Interpol for help in arresting Shahzad Akbar.

The FIA has sent a letter to the Interpol representative in Pakistan, asking him to issue a red warrant to bring back the former adviser.

A case was registered in Secretariat Police Station on the complaint of Umar Farooq Zahoor, a businessman and resident of Dubai. Umar Farooq is the same person who disclosed he had bought a valuable Toshakhana watch from former prime minister Imran Khan.

The case had been registered against former adviser Shahzad Akbar as well as FIA officers Ali Mardan Shah, Khushbakht Mirza, Maryam Mirza, Maira Khurram and Umeed Butt.

According to the FIR, the Corporate Crime Circle of FIA in Lahore had also started an inquiry based on the report submitted by the petitioner’s ex-wife Khushbakht Mirza.