Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan has formally submitted extradition documents to the United Kingdom seeking the return of Shehzad Akbar and Adil Raja, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday.
The documents were handed over to British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, with Islamabad insisting that both men face charges back home and should be sent back at the earliest, The Express Tribune reported.
Akbar, a senior figure associated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and a former advisor to ex-prime minister Imran Khan, is wanted in multiple cases. Raja, a retired army major who later turned to YouTube commentary, has been accused by the state of running campaigns and content deemed to be anti-Pakistan.
The development came during a detailed meeting between Minister Naqvi and the British envoy, where discussions also covered bilateral cooperation, security matters, and broader ties between Islamabad and London.
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According to the Interior Ministry, the extradition move was initiated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Naqvi said Pakistan appreciated the UK’s willingness to engage on cases involving individuals who, he alleged, were contributing to propaganda against the country from overseas.
He told the delegation that while freedom of expression is important, the spread of false information online poses a challenge for many nations.
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“No state can permit its own citizens to defame national institutions from abroad under the guise of free speech,” the minister remarked. He also presented what officials described as documentary evidence against those involved in such activities.
Federal Secretary Interior Muhammad Khurram Agha and other senior officials attended the meeting.
