Extradition of Shahzad Akbar & Adil Raja: Naqvi hands over files to UK envoy

Extradition of Shahzad Akbar & Adil Raja: Naqvi hands over files to UK envoy

Pakistan urges UK for extradition of PTI’s Shahzad Akbar and YouTuber Adil Raja. File photo

December, 4 2025

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk): Pakistan’s extradition push has taken a sharp turn as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday handed over papers to the UK for two critics – PTI’s Shahzad Akbar and YouTuber Adil Raja.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met UK High Commissioner Jane Marriott in Islamabad, where he handed over the extradition papers for former PM’s aide Shahzad Akbar and YouTuber Adil Raja. This step follows Naqvi’s recent announcement of a crackdown on those spreading fake news or targeting state institutions from abroad.

A statement from the interior ministry said the meeting covered Pak-UK ties, security cooperation and shared concerns. It added that discussions also touched on the return of Pakistanis living illegally in the UK.

The ministry confirmed that “the extradition papers for Akbar and Raja from the government of Pakistan were handed over”. Naqvi said both were wanted in Pakistan and should be returned immediately. He also shared evidence against Pakistani citizens accused of spreading propaganda.

Naqvi said he believed in freedom of expression but warned that fake news harms every country. He stressed that no state can allow slander or defamation of its institutions by individuals operating from overseas. He added that Pakistan welcomes British cooperation against those who “spread anti-Pakistan propaganda”.

The extradition process has been initiated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Responding online, Akbar said his commentary on rights abuses, rising authoritarianism, and disputes over military appointments had angered authorities. He claimed he had faced severe retaliation, including the abduction of his family in Pakistan and an acid attack in the UK.

Akbar said the attack on him in England in 2023 involved an “acidic liquid”. He urged UK authorities to uphold due process and human-rights obligations.

Raja, also based in the UK, echoed Akbar’s concerns. He criticised Pakistan’s governance and said the government’s complaint to the British High Commissioner was itself unlawful under UK law. Earlier, a London court ordered him to pay £350,000 in damages and legal costs after ruling he had defamed a former intelligence officer.

Akbar runs a YouTube channel where he comments on political developments in Pakistan, while Raja presents himself as a whistleblower and former army officer.