UK jails Manchester-born Pakistani for military base terror plot

London,UPDATED: Jul 23, 2026 21:48 IST

A UK-born Pakistani man described by prosecutors as a "dangerous individual" has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the UK for plotting a mass-casualty terrorist attack on a military base. Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, pleaded guilty to preparing an act of terrorism after investigators said the evidence showed he was a "committed jihadist" planning a major attack.

Bashir, a dual Pakistani national born in Manchester, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court. He must serve a minimum of 16 years and 135 days in prison before he can be considered for parole. The case also linked him to Jihad Al-Shamie, who later carried out a separate attack on a synagogue in Manchester.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said, "Mohammad Bashir is a determined jihadist and dangerous individual who was planning an attack that could have caused devastation. His actions demonstrate a deliberate and sustained commitment to violent extremism, including conducting reconnaissance, sharing extremist material, and discussing weapons and plans capable of causing significant harm. The CPS worked closely with CTP to build a strong case, and today's sentence reflects the seriousness of his offending."

The sentencing followed what Counter Terrorism Policing North-West described as a large-scale investigation after Al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead during a terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester in October last year. The attack claimed the lives of two Jewish men. Prosecutors said Bashir was a close associate of Al-Shamie and also held extremist views. "While Al Shamie ultimately carried out a separate attack independently, the evidence shows that Bashir played a key role in earlier preparations for a potential mass casualty incident," the CPS said.

According to the court case, Bashir and Al-Shamie frequently attended a mosque together and were caught on CCTV discussing getting weapons, including crossbows, and preparing to say goodbye to loved ones. Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts of Greater Manchester Police, who has operational responsibility for CTP North-West, said, "He [Bashir] was caught on camera discussing carrying out a terrorist attack with a man who would later go on to conduct an attack himself. Together they made a 10-hour round trip to conduct hostile reconnaissance at a military base and noted its security arrangements. The pair tried to cover their tracks by disposing of their mobile phones but, thanks to the meticulous work of investigators, evidence of damning internet searches that show research for attack planning were uncovered. Bashir is now facing the consequences of his actions and I hope his sentence will act as a deterrent to anybody considering taking part in extremist activity."

The prosecution said the pair also shared voice notes and messages expressing a desire for "jihad" and wishes to travel to Syria to fight for the mujahideen. In a WhatsApp group, Bashir shared more than 100 attachments, including "extreme Islamic content". Some of these were audiobooks and videos by Anwar Al Awlaki, described in court as an "extreme Islamic cleric and a leader in Al Qaeda". Bashir and Al-Shamie also exchanged messages about the "obligation of jihad, extreme Islamic concepts including Sharia Law, rejecting democracy and mortgages, as well as the desire to get strong and be war ready".

Prosecutors argued that this "extremist, jihadi mindset" led Bashir and Al-Shamie to begin planning a mass-casualty attack. In August last year, they travelled by road from Manchester to Swindon to carry out "hostile reconnaissance" of the UK Defence Academy. Seven weeks later, Al-Shamie chose a synagogue as an alternative target and carried out that attack alone while Bashir was in Pakistan. During the police investigation, Bashir was identified as an associate and arrested after he returned to the UK.

During the sentencing hearing this week, Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said, "I consider you remain dangerous. You have given no grounds that your attitude has really changed at all." Bashir's defence team had argued that he had a "change of heart" after the reconnaissance trip, but the judge rejected that claim and sentenced him to life imprisonment for his conviction under Section 5 of the UK Terrorism Act 2006. The case centred on investigators' findings that Bashir and Al-Shamie had earlier prepared for a possible mass-casualty attack before Al-Shamie later carried out a separate attack on his own.

With PTI Inputs

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