LONDON: British counter-terrorism police have charged three men in connection with a series of “highly targeted” attacks against Pakistani dissidents living in the United Kingdom, including a former adviser in the Imran Khan government.

The alleged assaults took place in Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire between Dec 24 and 31 and were directed at two prominent supporters of the jailed former Pakistani prime minister. Counter-terrorism police took over the investigation from local forces, citing the deliberate and targeted nature of the incidents.

One of the victims, Mirza Shahzad Akbar, a former accountability adviser in Mr Khan’s cabinet, said he was brutally assaulted at his home after an attacker confirmed his identity. He told British media that he had been punched repeatedly and is now in hiding, fearing for his and his family’s safety.

On Friday, police confirmed that three British nationals had been charged. Karl Blackbird, 40, and Clark McAulay, 39, face charges of conspiracy to cause actual bodily harm in relation to separate incidents. A third man, Doneto Brammer, 21, has been charged in connection with the attack on Akbar’s home and faces additional charges, including possession of a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to commit arson.

All three appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

Several other suspects have been arrested during coordinated raids across London, the Midlands and Essex and later released on bail. Police said the investigation remains ongoing and that detectives are keeping an open mind regarding motive and possible links between the attacks.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2026