UK shuts Shahzad Akbar acid attack probe after no suspects found

LONDON: The UK police has shut down investigation into the acid attack on former Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) head Shahzad Akbar after no suspects were found during the probe that lasted for nearly half a year. A police source linked with the counter-terrorism policing said: “We have explored all lines of enquiry and have not been able to identify any suspects.”

The Hertfordshire Constabulary, the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Hertfordshire in England where Shahzad Akbar lives, and an intelligence source familiar with the probe spoke to Geo and The News on the matter.

The Hertfordshire Constabulary said this (Shahzad Akbar’s complaint) was an extremely complex investigation. The police force said: “Since November, officers have been working hard to try and trace those involved. On this occasion, we have explored all lines of enquiry and have not been able to identify any suspects. Incidents of this nature are thankfully rare in Hertfordshire and the safeguarding of any victim remains our priority. Should any new information come to light, we will act on this accordingly.”

Separately, the intelligence source told this reporter that the investigation has been closed after no suspects were found during the “dedicated investigation”. The source said several lines of inquiry were probed, footage of several hours reviewed including the entry and exit points of the local area in Royston but no suspects were identified. The forensics didn’t create any headways and no clues were found, said the source, therefore it was decided to close the investigation without any further action.

In November last year, the Herts police said they were contacted by the ambulance service just before 4.45pm on Sunday (26 November) to reports of an assault in Royston. “It is believed an acidic solution was used. A 44-year-old man received hospital treatment and has now been discharged. Safety of any victim is paramount and we believe this is an isolated incident,” the police had said.

At that time Shahzad Akbar confirmed to Geo News that he had written to the law enforcement authorities in the UK two weeks before the attack that he felt in danger because his new address in Royston was known to the Pakistani government. Imran Khan’s former advisor did so after receiving a letter from the Cabinet Division asking questions about his role in the £190 million NCA properties settlement case and Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s Al-Qadir Trust case.

He had said, “The letter two weeks ago came to my new address which was shocking for me because it was a clear message from the Pakistan govt that my location is known. So the police already knew about this matter.”

A source linked with the Pakistani government with full knowledge of the ongoing cases had said it’s a legal requirement to serve papers to the accused’s known address. Akbar holds evidence and documents in the £190 million corruption case and he took away these state-owned papers and refused to cooperate with the inquiry, said the source.

Last week, Shahzad Akbar announced he was taking legal action against the government of Pakistan over the acid attack. He has served a copy of his legal action to the Pakistan High Commission in London. It names several Pakistani government officials as responsible for the attack. Shahzad claims in the letter the government of Pakistan was behind the attack.

When asked to comment on the closure of the inquiry by the UK police without any suspects found, Shahzad Akbar said: “I have already made it public who is responsible for the attack on me, perpetrated at the best of Pakistani government. The criminal inquiry may be closed but I have recourse to civil course of action which I have already started.”