LONDON: Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London is investigating a series of attacks on YouTubers Adil Raja and Shahzad Akbar in Chesham and Cambridge, which police believe may be linked and “coordinated”.
According to police, Raja’s home in Chesham was broken into on December 24, 2025, by two men wearing dark clothing. The property was unoccupied at the time, and the incident is being treated as a targeted attack.
Former accountability chief in Imran Khan’s government, Shahzad Akbar, was targeted in two separate incidents. On December 24, he was assaulted at his residence in Cambridge, suffering fractures to his nose and jaw. A second attack occurred on December 31, when two men smashed a window and attempted to set the house on fire.
Police said both incidents are being treated as targeted attacks and that investigators are examining possible links between them. The investigation into the first assault on Akbar, which took place at around 8:08am on December 24, was later transferred to Counter Terrorism Policing London due to its targeted nature.
No arrests have been made so far, and police have said there is no wider threat to the public. Officers are providing safety advice to the victims as investigations continue.
The attacks come amid legal action taken in Pakistan against Raja and several others. Earlier, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad awarded double life sentences to YouTuber Adil Raja, former army officer Syed Akbar Hussain, and journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada, Shaheen Sehbai and Haider Mehdi.
The sentences were announced by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra in cases related to what the court described as “digital terrorism” against state institutions during the May 9, 2023 unrest.
The prosecution presented 24 witnesses, and the trial was concluded in absentia at the prosecution’s request. The accused were represented by court-appointed counsel.
Under the court’s verdict, each convict received rigorous life imprisonment under Section 121 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for waging or abetting war against Pakistan, along with another life term under Section 120-B for criminal conspiracy.
In addition, the court awarded each convict a cumulative 35 years’ rigorous imprisonment across five counts, along with a total fine of Rs1.5 million. These included 10-year sentences under Sections 121-A and 131 of the PPC, as well as three separate five-year sentences under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 for incitement, abetment, and acts of terrorism.
The court ordered that all sentences run concurrently and extended the benefit of Section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure, allowing time already spent in detention to be counted toward the sentence.
Although the convictions were handed down in absentia, the convicts retain the right to appeal before the Islamabad High Court within seven days. All sentences remain subject to confirmation by the High Court.
The relevant station house officers have been directed to arrest the convicts, who are currently considered absconders.
