Naqvi hands UK extradition papers for Shahzad Akbar, Adil Raja

Pakistan on Thursday formally handed over extradition papers for Mirza Shahzad Akbar and Adil Farooq Raja to the British government, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urging London to immediately return both men, who are wanted in multiple cases at home.

Naqvi delivered the documents during a meeting with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, where the two sides discussed Pakistan-UK relations, security cooperation and the repatriation of Pakistanis staying illegally in Britain. Senior Interior Ministry officials, including Federal Secretary Interior Muhammad Khurram Agha, were also present.

Akbar, a barrister who served as the former adviser on interior and accountability and headed the previous government’s Asset Recovery Unit, faces inquiries related to his tenure.

Raja, a former army major who reinvented himself as a YouTuber, was convicted in 2023 by a military court under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act on charges that included incitement and the leaking of sensitive information. Raja has also previously lost a major defamation case in the UK, where a London court ruled allegations he levelled against a retired intelligence officer were false.

Naqvi said both men are required in Pakistan and should be extradited without delay. He stressed that while the government respects freedom of expression, “fake news” and campaigns targeting state institutions cannot be tolerated, adding that Pakistan appreciates British cooperation on matters involving individuals engaged in anti-Pakistan propaganda abroad.

He said the extradition process has already been initiated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that Islamabad expects progress from UK authorities under existing legal frameworks.