The United Kingdom has become a key center for Pakistan’s transnational repression, initially targeting Baloch activists and now expanding to include Pakistani journalists, former officials, military defectors, and supporters of Imran Khan’s PTI living abroad. Pakistani exiles in the UK report surveillance, intimidation, and harassment, with their families in Pakistan also facing pressure. Some have been convicted in absentia by Pakistani courts, while others face charges like terrorism or cybercrimes based on speeches made overseas.
British security services have alerted Pakistani dissidents about their names appearing on alleged hit lists, with concrete incidents like a London-based individual charged with plotting to kill exiled Pakistani blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya in the Netherlands. Retired Major Adil Raja, a vocal critic of Pakistan’s military establishment and its treatment of Imran Khan, is among the prominent targets due to his insider status. Incidents like attempted break-ins at Raja’s and former advisor Shahzad Akbar’s homes in the UK were termed part of a coordinated conspiracy by British prosecutors.
The pressure on exiles goes beyond diplomatic channels, with reports of intimidation tactics like attempted home invasions. Exiled journalists, scholars, and commentators have faced similar treatment, including arrest warrants, convictions in absentia, and threats of repatriation. The aim, as highlighted in a report, is to create a climate of fear and uncertainty among overseas critics, mirroring the repression tactics used within Pakistan. Pakistan’s strategy involves using legal mechanisms like arrest warrants and extradition requests to target dissenters abroad, turning political conflicts into criminal proceedings through bureaucratic maneuvers.
