LONDON: British police have charged three more men in an investigation into a series of violent incidents targeting Pakistani dissidents in the United Kingdom, according to a statement released by the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday night.

The latest charges bring the total number of people arrested in connection with the investigation to seven.

The charges relate to attacks on properties in Cambridge and Chesham in late December 2025 and form part of a wider counter-terrorism investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London. Although the police statement did not name the victims, earlier reports indicate that the arrests are linked to attacks reported by former Imran Khan adviser Shahzad Akbar and YouTuber-blogger Adil Raja.

Adil Raja’s home was targeted on December 24, 2025, while Shahzad Akbar’s residence was attacked on December 24 and 31, 2025, and again on January 10, 2026.

Following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service, Asaf Afsar, 38, of Birmingham; Liam McGarry, 24, of Warwickshire; and Mark Regan, 52, also of Birmingham, were charged on February 4 with conspiracy to assault and to occasion bodily harm.

Mr Afsar and Mr Regan face two counts each, linked to incidents in both Chesham and Cambridge on December 24, 2025. Mr McGarry was charged with one count relating to the Cambridge incident on the same date.

All three men were in police custody and appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The men were arrested a day earlier, on February 3, as part of what police described as an “ongoing investigation” into alleged coordinated attacks.

Two other men, aged 55 and 30, were also arrested in Birmingham and London, respectively, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit assault and criminal damage. Both have since been released on bail until May while inquiries continue.

Police said the arrests in the West Midlands and Warwickshire were carried out with support from local forces and Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands. Officers also conducted five searches across the West Midlands, Warwickshire and London.

The latest charges bring the total number of people charged in the investigation to seven. Four other men were previously charged and are due to appear at the Old Bailey on Feb 13.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2026