On Thursday, the Foreign Office (FO) “unequivocally dismissed” assertions by PTI leader Mirza Shahzad Akbar regarding the alleged participation of state officials in last year’s acid attack on him as “groundless.”
Akbar, a special assistant to the prime minister during the PTI administration, left Pakistan shortly after Imran Khan was removed through a no-confidence motion in April 2022. He reportedly moved to the United Kingdom via Dubai.
Akbar claims that he was assaulted with “acidic liquid” at his home in England last year. He declared at that time that he would not be deterred or submit to the perpetrators, though he did not provide further details.
Accordingly, Akbar began legal proceedings against the Pakistan government on Monday, delivering a legal notice to the Pakistan High Commission in London. The notice accuses several Pakistani officials of orchestrating the attack, which, Akbar alleges, caused him physical scarring and psychological damage.
During her weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch labelled Akbar’s accusations “simply preposterous.” She stated, “We categorically deny these politically motivated allegations against the state of Pakistan and its agencies.”
Baloch emphasized, “Pakistan prioritizes the safety and security of its nationals everywhere and does not target its citizens abroad. Despite accusations from numerous high-profile dissidents in the UK, Pakistan has not engaged in any actions against them.”
Allegations of giving airbases to US
Regarding speculations by Omar Ayub, Leader of the Opposition, and senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser about Pakistan allegedly granting airbase access to the United States, Baloch declared these rumours as “completely unfounded.” She affirmed that Pakistan has no intentions of offering bases to any foreign powers.
Indian trans-national assassinations
Addressing alleged Indian transnational crimes, Baloch reported that Pakistan has provided “concrete evidence” of Indian involvement in terrorism and extrajudicial killings within Pakistan. She highlighted the global concern over India’s expanding espionage activities and called for international accountability for India’s violations of international law.
Finally, when questioned about the recent altercation between the German ambassador and pro-Palestine protesters in Pakistan, Baloch described the incident as “regrettable,” noting it reflected global distress over the situation in Gaza. She hoped the incident would foster reflective dialogue on human rights standards.
