RAWALPINDI, Oct 5: The authorities on Wednesday handed over to the United Kingdom three suspects for questioning over the murder of a schoolboy in the Scottish city of Glasgow, official sources told Dawn.
The British government had in October 2004 requested the Pakistan government for extradition of three British nationals of Pakistani origin for their alleged involvement in the abduction and murder of the 15-year-old boy, Kriss Donald, in March 2004.
Initially the government did not agree to the British request because the British authorities had been refusing similar Pakistani requests in the past on the ground that there was no formal extradition arrangement between the two countries.
The case regarding the extradition of the three fugitives was taken up on the basis of a draft treaty between the two countries. That accord remains to be ratified.
The three have been identified as Imran Shahid, Zeeshan Shahid and Faisal Mushtaq, and are alleged to have fled to Faisalabad/Lahore after the murder.
They were handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency officials by the Adiala Jail authorities. They had been in the jail for three months.
A formal inquiry into the involvement of the three in the murder was carried out by the Pakistani authorities in Islamabad and the decision to extradite them was taken on the basis of the findings of the probe, an official source said.
It may be recalled that the British authorities had refused Pakistan’s request for the extradition of two accused in 2002 and 2003 because of non-existence of an extradition treaty.
The two persons sought to be extradited to Pakistan were Samia Amir, wanted by Islamabad police in case no 398/2001, and Masood Akhtar, wanted by the Civil Lines police Gujrat in a case of kidnapping for ransom.
AFP adds: Islamabad arrested the men in June.
“The murder of Kriss Donald was a vicious crime against an innocent 15-year-old boy that caused revulsion throughout the UK,” British High Commisioner Mark Lyall Grant said in a statement.
“This has not been an easy process and has involved a great deal of hard work.”
The high commission said it was the first case of its kind because Pakistan had no formal extradition agreement with Britain and had only been able to act after lengthy talks and a change in the law.
The men were taken in handcuffs to Islamabad airport early on Wednesday and handed to British police for the flight back to London and then to Glasgow.
Mr Lyall Grant praised the embassy staff, British police and the “excellent co-operation and assistance from the Pakistani authorities”.
