TikToker Hareem Shah in London to seek answers from Shahzad Akbar

LONDON: TikTok star Hareem Shah is currently in London to seek answers from former prime minister Imran Khan's accountability chief Shahzad Akbar about why he asked the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) to arrest her in a money-laundering case last year. 

On January 10, 2022, the TikToker uploaded a video on social media in which she was seen flaunting stacks of British pounds and claimed she had taken that money out of Pakistan without any issue. 

Later, Akbar announced that he had ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to start a money-laundering case against her and the FIA wrote to the UK NCA against Shah as well. 

Shah said she was looking for Akbar in London and would like to question him on his alleged misuse of power when he was one of the most powerful persons in Pakistan in Khan’s government. 

"It’s karma that Shahzad Akbar has run away from Pakistan and is now hiding in London. I have information that he has assets in London and is hiding here to avoid corruption cases in Pakistan. Shahzad Akbar wanted me deported from London. He wrote to the UK authorities to get me arrested to put me in trouble. He did everything to ruin my life but look what has happened to him," she added. 

Shah said Akbar was arrogant when working in the Imran Khan-led government and ruined many lives.

“I have known Mian Saleem Raza for a long time. He is a decent and nice man. Shahzad Akbar wanted to turn him into a witness against Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz in Judge Arshad Malik's video scandal and when that failed he made fake cases against Mian Saleem Raza and put him on the list of most wanted terrorists. I know Mian Saleem Raza’s family who were arrested and put in jail, their lives and business were completely destroyed by Shahzad Akbar. He is still living in London due to fake cases made against him by Shahzad Akbar," she said.

The TikTok star went on to say that she had no issue obtaining a new British visit visa. “I have done nothing wrong and the UK government knows that.”

When the scandal broke out in early January 2022, a local Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader emerged in Shah's defence, saying that the bundles of cash in UK pounds that the TikToker floated in her social media video belonged to him and there was no money laundering of any kind.

When the furore erupted in the Pakistani media, Shah clarified that the video was made only for fun.

London-exiled Mian Saleem Raza was one of the major characters in Judge Arshad Malik's video scandal along with Nasir Butt, Mian Nasir Janjua and others. He came under direct attack from the FIA under direct orders of former prime minister Imran Khan and his then-accountability chief Akbar, and was victimised for several years for his role in the scandal. He is now planning to return to Pakistan.

Hareem Shah said she will be staying in London for a month for summer vacation.