A Cambridge PhD student and campaigner has accused the University of failing to take adequate action to protect him from the Pakistani secret service, who he alleges have threatened him over his criticism of “human rights abuses.”

Roshaan Khattak was sent a message on X (formerly Twitter) by a newly-created account in December (21/12) which contained threats against him and his family.

Sent from a profile named ‘Ali Ahmed’, it read: “You should know that staying away from criticising our military in foreign parliaments, online seminars, international platforms, and [the] UN would ensure the safety of your family.”

“Have mercy on them. Your cousin can only be released then. Hope you will consider. Don’t forget even Cambridge and [the] UK is not safe. For them they can get anywhere, Sweden, Germany, Canada… Don’t be stupid,” the message continued.

Khattak believes this message was sent by an agent of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He told Varsity: “The account’s behaviour and content reflect a pattern consistent with ISI tactics rather than that of an overly zealous supporter.

He continued: “The specific threats, their timing, and the calculated methods – including indirect warnings via my contacts in Pakistan – mirror the strategies the ISI employs to intimidate and silence critics abroad.”

Khattak reported the threat he received on X to the police, but was told: “the perceived threat is not enough to raise a crime of malicious communications”.

He also accused the University of “not taking the threat seriously”.

Khattak said his college’s senior administration “declined” to meet him “despite receiving over 15 requests. On four occasions, they initially agreed to a meeting but cancelled at the last minute.”

“I don’t believe the college is taking the threat seriously. I think they are being negligent even after human rights organisations have written to them about the severity of the threat.”

A spokesperson for the college said: “The College is and has been taking all steps toward resolving the situation, including ongoing conversation with the student.”

Yet, upon hearing this response, Khattak claimed that the College has “completely stopped responding to my emails and concerns.” He believes that the police’s unwillingness to act is a result of his college “trying to downplay the threat to the police to cover up their own negligence”.

In an open letter to vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice, students expressed “deep concern over the lack of action regarding recent transnational repression threats faced by Roshaan Khattak”, calling on the university to “take immediate action to ensure his safety and set a precedent of standing firmly against such oppressive practices.”

In late November, Khattak had arranged an online solidarity conference over the “enforced disappearance” of his cousin, Idris Khattak, in Pakistan.

Idris Khattak, a former researcher with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for “espionage” by a military court in Pakistan in 2021. The UN special rapporteur has called for his release.

“After the conference, a friend in Pakistan was asked to deliver a chilling message for me to ‘shut up or face risks’,” Roshaan Khattak said.

That month, Khattak, whose Cambridge doctorate is in human rights was asked to draft a bill in the UK Parliament on transnational repression by Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell. He received this threat three days after completing this draft.

Having worked alongside human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith on multiple cases of transnational repression in 2024, Khattak noted an “alarming trend” of alleged “state-sponsored” attacks on Pakistani exiles abroad.

In 2020, Karima Baloch, a Pakistani human rights activist and government critic, was found dead in Canada. Earlier that year, Sajid Hussain Baloch, a journalist who wrote about human rights violations in Balochistan, was found dead in a river in Sweden.

Khattak stated: “These incidents, combined with previous challenges and death threats towards me – including detentions and interrogations while filming in Balochistan [a conflict-ridden province of Pakistan] and a targeted theft during my investigation of Sajid Hussain Baloch’s assassination in Sweden – have raised concerns about my safety.”

Khattak, who is in exile and without a fixed address, was nominated for the Best Student Film Academy Award and the BAFTA Student Award in 2022 for his documentary film, ‘State of Dissent.’

The film tells the story of the Cambridge postgrad’s two activist friends who ran a famous blog known for satire of the Pakistani military. One day, he alleges they “disappeared and were brutally tortured by the army in a bid to silence them.”

According to its description, the film details “what it was like inside Pakistan’s notorious and secret torture cells, how the two bounced back and now continue their defiant activism in exile while being exposed to assassination attempts even abroad.”

Amnesty Society Cambridge shared Khattak’s story on Instagram, stating: “We demand immediate action from the Vice-Chancellor, Cambridge Administration and Cambridge Police to ensure Roshaan’s safety before it’s too late. We also demand an external investigation to look into the negligence and mishandling by the college.”

Peter Tatchell, a human rights campaigner advising Khattak on the situation, said: “I am deeply concerned about the security situation involving […] Roshaan Khattak. He is at serious risk of terrorist violence by agents of the Pakistan state, who have targeted critics and human rights defenders like him in the UK and across Europe.

“His concerns and precautions are not at all excessive … Roshaan has been leading efforts to hold the perpetrators accountable; provoking the ire of Pakistan’s ISI,” Tatchell continued.

Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, said: “I am aware of the case involving Mr Khattak and am deeply concerned to hear of the issues they have raised.”

Before receiving this recent threat, Khattak had communicated concerns over a lack of safety protocols for dissidents with the college over the summer, but said they “didn’t do anything.”

A spokesperson from Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: “We were contacted on 21 October with reports of malicious communications in Cambridge.

“Officers contacted the victim and the matter was investigated, but there was insufficient evidence to identify those involved.”

The Pakistan High Commission and the University of Cambridge were contacted for comment