A court in Islamabad has declared Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Mirza Shahzad Akbar a proclaimed offender after he failed to appear in connection with a case filed against him in July 2025.
The court order came a day after Pakistan formally submitted extradition requests to the UK for Shahzad Akbar and YouTuber Adil Raja.
Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Abbas Shah issued the proclamation and also ordered arrest warrants for Akbar due to his repeated failure to appear in court.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) had lodged a case against Shahzad Akbar over alleged anti-State statements on his Twitter account, with a challan submitted to the court.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry formally initiated the extradition process for Shahzad Akbar and Adil Raja via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The move aims to bring back individuals accused of running coordinated propaganda campaigns against Pakistan from abroad.
The development follows a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, where bilateral relations, security cooperation, and the extradition of Pakistanis residing illegally in the UK were discussed.
During the meeting, Naqvi provided “solid evidence” against Shahzad Akbar and Adil Raja and urged the UK to hand them over promptly.
He emphasized that while Pakistan supports freedom of expression, no country can allow the spread of malicious disinformation or defamatory content targeting its institutions.
The minister added that Pakistan would welcome enhanced British cooperation in returning those engaged in “anti-Pakistan propaganda” while residing abroad.
Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha and senior officials from the ministry were also present during the meeting.
