Pakistan has officially requested the United Kingdom to extradite Shehzad Akbar and Adil Raja, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed during a high-level meeting in Islamabad. The move marks a major escalation in Pakistan’s efforts to counter anti-state propaganda and misinformation campaigns orchestrated from abroad.
During Naqvi’s meeting with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, official extradition files were handed over for both Akbar and Major (retd) Adil Raja. The Interior Ministry stated that both men are wanted in Pakistan and must be repatriated without delay.
Naqvi emphasized that no sovereign country can permit anyone overseas to malign the state, spread lies or run defamatory campaigns. He said Pakistan expects full cooperation from the UK in this matter.
Interior Ministry Targets Individuals Behind Anti-State Propaganda
The meeting also discussed the repatriation of Pakistanis living illegally in the UK and reviewed updates on the high-profile £190 million corruption case. Pakistani authorities have already blocked the passports of Malik Riaz, Ali Riaz, Shehzad Akbar and Farah Khan.
Naqvi reiterated that Pakistan welcomes British assistance in ensuring that individuals involved in defamatory attacks against state institutions are held accountable.
Earlier in October, the London High Court ruled against Raja in a defamation lawsuit filed by Brigadier (retd) Rashid Naseer. The court declared Raja’s allegations false, defamatory and unsupported by evidence.
The judge ordered Raja to pay £50,000 in damages and £300,000 in legal costs — a total nearing Rs130 million. Additionally, the court instructed Raja to issue a public apology, promise not to repeat his claims and publish a summary of the verdict across all media platforms.
The case involved nine social media publications on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, where Raja accused Naseer of court manipulation, election interference, bribery and corruption. None of Raja’s witnesses were able to validate his claims. The court dismissed his reliance on journalist Arshad Sharif’s report as baseless.
Naseer called the verdict a landmark win for truth and a warning against spreading false allegations for personal gain.
