ISLAMABAD: Shahzad Akbar, who was the accountability chief of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, said on Monday he came under an attack by unknown assailants, who threw an “acidic liquid” on him at his home in the United Kingdom. 

Akbar served as a special assistant to the prime minister on accountability during the reign of Khan-led government in Pakistan. He left Pakistan shortly after Khan was ousted in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April 2022 and currently lives in exile in the UK. 

Sharing details of the attack on him, the former accountability czar said he received a few injuries, but his wife and children, who were with him at the time, remained safe.

“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,” Akbar said on X.

“Thankfully my wife and children are safe, however I got some injuries but nothing life-threatening.” 

Akbar is a central figure in a land bribe case against Khan and his wife, who are accused of receiving benefits from Pakistani property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain by granting him a settlement of £190 million seized by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency as part of a deal relating to the transfer of ill-gotten money to Pakistan. 

The case involves the Al-Qadir Trust, owned by Khan and his third wife Bushra Bibi, which runs a university outside Islamabad that is devoted to spirituality and Islamic teachings. The project is inspired by Khan’s wife, who is a spiritual leader. 

In May, Khan shifted the responsibility on Akbar for the deal with Hussain, saying that he relied upon Akbar’s briefing that the amount was to be repatriated to Pakistan against the liability of respondents, Bahria Town, which is owned by Hussain. 

Speaking further of the attack, Akbar said he would neither be “intimidated,” nor “bow down” to the ones behind the attack on him. 

“Police and emergency services arrived instantly and house being protected now,” he said. “I will not be intimidated nor bow down to those who are doing this.”