PTI leader and former special assistant to the prime minister, Mirza Shahzad Akbar, reported an attack at his England residence on Monday. He stated that unknown assailants threw an acidic liquid at him.

“Last evening, I was attacked at my address in England (where I am living in exile with my family) by unknown assailant/s who threw acidic liquid at me. Thankfully, my wife and children are safe, however, I sustained some injuries but nothing life-threatening,” Akbar said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

He added that police and emergency services arrived instantly, and his house is now under protection. “I will not be intimidated nor bow down to those who are doing this,” he said without elaborating further.

Akbar, a former special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM) during the PTI government, left Pakistan soon after PTI Chairman Imran Khan was ousted through a no-confidence motion in April last year. He had reportedly left for Dubai, from where he departed for the United Kingdom.

Akbar is a central figure in the Al Qadir Trust case against the PTI chief, related to alleged illegal land acquisition and construction of the Al Qadir University. It involves unlawful benefits given in the recovery of proceeds through the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in a money laundering case against real estate tycoon Malik Riaz and his family.

In May, the PTI chief shifted responsibility to Akbar for making a secret deal with the property tycoon. He stated that, since he was not aware of the settlement between the NCA and Riaz, he relied upon Akbar’s briefing that “the amount was to be repatriated to Pakistan against the liability of respondents [Bahria Town].”

“Shahzad Akbar got the deed of confidentiality approved from the cabinet on Dec 3, 2019. However, I am not aware of any other deed of confidentiality that may have been signed by SAPM Shahzad Akbar on Nov 06, 2019. As regards the allegations that, in the deed of confidentiality stately signed on Nov 06, the designated account for the adjustment of liability of BTLK was malafide-intimated to the NCA UK for the transfer of funds instead of repatriation of the recovered amount to the State of Pakistan, in order to give and obtain material benefit, I reiterate that I am not aware of any deed of confidentiality… nor was I privy to or have participated in providing any designated account to the NCA for repatriation of the funds from the UK to the state of Pakistan,” Imran had said.

Earlier this month, the government had sought documents, including the “deed of confidentiality” from Akbar about the agreement.

The source said the cabinet division had written a letter to Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi to be delivered to Akbar through the Pakistan High Commissioner in London. Akbar was asked to provide five documents, including a copy of the agreement between individuals or entities and the foreign government or agency — in this case, the NCA.

The government claimed these documents were not part of any record available with the Cabinet Division or any other authority. The documents also include the original deed of confidentiality dated November 6, 2019, signed by Akbar as the then SAPM on behalf of the government and the UK court’s order under which the money was seized.

The government also sought an explanation of how the seized money was adjusted against the penalty imposed by the Supreme Court on Bahria Town Ltd Karachi.