March 11, 2006	Saturday	Safar 10, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, March 10: The residents of Margalla Tower, an apartment building that partly collapsed during October 8 earthquake, have sought early extradition of Ramzan Khokhar, the first owner and builder of the tower, so that he could be taken to task for using substandard construction material.

Staging a demonstration after Jumma prayers outside the collapsed blocks of the building, a group of Margalla Towers’ resident asked President Gen Pervez Musharraf to approach UK Prime Minister Tony Blair for Mr Khokhar’s extradition.

“Although, there is no extradition treaty between Pakistan and the UK, people wanted by the either governments are often exchanged on mutual understanding,” an executive member of the resident’s action committee Iftikhar Chaudhry said.

The demonstrators rejected a compensation of Rs100,000 each for the families of those killed during the tower collapse. The amount was offered by the local administration under the compensation policy for all earthquake victims.

They said they were not victims of the earthquake but of substandard construction, therefore, they should be dealt with separately from the quake victims in other parts of the country.

The demonstrators sought immediate restoration of their monthly rent which was stopped after two months. “It is the case of broad-day light defiance of the Supreme Courts’ order,” they added.

“The government is collecting international donations by arranging visits of foreign dignitaries to the collapsed tower, but is not ready to resolve the issue of the rehabilitation of the affected people,” they said.

They urged President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao to provide them shelter besides compensation for their deceased family members, apartments and belongings.

When contacted, an official of the local Interpol office in the Federal Investigation Agency said the Interpol had already issued a red warrant for Mr Khokar and his wife.

“But now it is the responsibility of the interior ministry to follow the case and take up the issue with the UK government,” he said.