The Hindu : Front Page : Pakistan: no extradition of our nationals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 25, 2009
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Pakistan: no extradition of our nationals

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani Ministers on Wednesday ruled out extradition of any Pakistani national to India in connection with the Mumbai terror case, a day after a special court hearing the case in Mumbai issued warrants for 22 Pakistanis wanted for their suspected involvement in the attacks.

One statement was made in the National Assembly, Pakistan’s lower House of Parliament, during a debate on the Foreign Ministry allocation in the 2009-10 budget. Opposition members mounted an attack on the government for not doing enough to protect Pakistan’s image in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks.

They described India as a threat to Pakistan, and accused it of involvement in the Balochistan insurgency.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Malik Amad Khan said that the government acted on the evidence provided by New Delhi, but needs more from the Indian government for further action.

He also informed the House that the Indian government had demanded the extradition of the elements involved in the attacks but, he added, both the Prime Minister and President had rejected the request, saying that no Pakistani would be handed over to them.

Evidence sought

“Provide us the evidences. We will bring the people involved in the incident to justice but in our own country, not India,” said Mr. Khan.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik told journalists outside the National Assembly that no citizen of Pakistan would be handed over to India.

“If any request is received from Interpol we will carefully examine it,” he said, adding that Pakistan was ready to cooperate with India in the Mumbai attacks investigation.

On Tuesday, a special court in Mumbai hearing the terror case issued non-bailable arrest warrants for 22 Pakistanis, including the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and leader of Jamat-ud-dawa Hafiz Saeed.

Saeed was recently released on the orders of the Lahore High Court, while at least two others for whom the NBWs have been issued – LeT operation commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah, and Abu Al Kama alias Mazhar Iqbal – are in the custody of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency. Two more suspects — Shahid Jamil Riaz of Nasirabad, Bahawalpur, and Hammad Amin Sadiq of Rahimyar Khan — are also in the FIA custody.

Previous reports

India reiterates request for Sarabjit’s release

We do not want Sarabjit in exchange for terrorists: wife

Editorial: Clemency for Sarabjit

No Indian pressure to free Sarabjit: Pakistan

Sarabjit’s execution put off indefinitely

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