Pakistan Requests UK to Extradite Shehzad Akbar and Adil Raja

Pakistan has formally asked the United Kingdom to extradite Shehzad Akbar and Adil Raja, the Interior Ministry confirmed on Thursday. The request was made during a meeting in Islamabad between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, where both sides discussed the return of Pakistanis residing illegally in the UK.

According to the ministry, Naqvi handed over official extradition papers for Akbar and former serviceman-turned-YouTuber Major (retd) Adil Raja. He emphasized that both individuals are wanted in Pakistan and should be returned without delay, stating that no country can allow people living abroad to spread misinformation or run defamatory campaigns against the state.

The meeting also reviewed progress on the £190 million case, in which the passports of Malik Riaz, Ali Riaz, Shehzad Akbar, and Farah Khan have already been blocked. Naqvi said Pakistan welcomes cooperation from the UK in bringing back individuals involved in anti-state propaganda.

The development comes after a recent legal setback for Adil Raja in the UK. In October, the London High Court ruled against him in a defamation case filed by former ISI officer Brigadier (retd) Rashid Naseer. The court declared Raja’s allegations false and defamatory, ordering him to pay £50,000 in damages along with £300,000 in legal costs — a total of around Rs130 million. He has also been directed to issue a public apology, refrain from repeating the claims, and publish the verdict summary across all his media platforms.

The case centered on nine posts and videos published on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, in which Raja accused Naseer of rigging elections, bribery, court manipulation, and amassing wealth through corruption. The court rejected all allegations as baseless, noting that none of Raja’s witnesses could substantiate his claims. Naseer hailed the ruling as a victory for truth and a warning to those who spread falsehoods for personal gain.