February 20, 2007	Tuesday	Safar 2, 1428

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GUJAR KHAN, Feb 19: Rawalpindi police have contacted the British authorities through Interpol for extradition of a Pakistani origin British national and her friend for investigation in a murder case.

In a letter sent to the Interpol, District Police Officer (DPO) Saud Aziz has sought extradition of Yasra Pervez, 23, and her friend Ian Christopher Priddle to Pakistan to investigate them for the murder of Khurram Mukhtar, 21.

Khurram Mukhtar, a resident of Gujar Khan, was stabbed to death in the bedroom of a hotel in Rawalpindi on December 30 last year.

Azra Bibi, 45, a widow from Bhaddana village of Gujar Khan Tehsil, reported to the Waris Khan police on December 30, 2006 that her son, Khurram Mukhtar had been stabbed to death in a hotel room by her daughter-in-law Yasra Pervez and her friend Ian Christopher Priddle. An FIR (916) dated 30-12-06 has been registered with the Waris Khan police under Section 302/34 PPC on her complaint.

A waiter of the Comfort Inn situated near Moti Mahal, Rawalpindi, told the complainant that on December 30 at about 1pm Khurram Mukhtar came to the hotel along with his friend Nayyar Nawaz to book a room for his family coming from the United Kingdom. Since Mr Mukhtar did not have his identity card, the hotel management booked room number 109 in the name of Nayyar Nawaz.

After some time Khurram Mukhtar came to the hotel along with a girl and a man. Nayyar Nawaz dropped the deceased at the hotel and then came back home. At about 2.30pm the waiter saw the girl and the man checking out.

However, Khurram Mukhtar was not accompanying them. Later the waiter saw Khurram Mukhtar lying in a pool of blood on the bed. Mr Mukhtar was being taken to the hospital when he succumbed to his injuries.

During investigation, some snaps collected from the immigration department at Islamabad International Airport were shown to the waiter, who identified the accused to be Ian Christopher Priddle (passport number 101524116) and Yasira Pervez (passport number 106185272).

The two stayed in Pakistan from December 24 to December 30, 2006 and proceeded to the United Kingdom on December 31 by flight number PK-701.

The investigating officer informed the police department of Bolton, Manchester, through Interpol about the involvement of Ian Christopher and Yasira Pervez in the brutal murder of Mr Mukhtar. Bolton police have hauled the two and are interrogating them.

Police said they would be sending the requisite documents to the British authorities within a couple of days for extradition of the two suspects to Pakistan.

Talking to the local reporters, the complainant, Azra Bibi, said that if Mirza Tahir Hussain, a convict in a murder case, could be handed over to the British authorities why the killers of her innocent son were not being handed over to the Pakistani authorities for investigation.

Azra Bibi told reporters that her son was her only hope after the death of her husband in 1986. She said Khurram Mukhtar was married to Yasira Pervez, the daughter of her brother Muhammad Pervez, on May 27, 2005 when she had come to Pakistan with her parents.

She urged President Pervez Musharraf and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to ensure that both the accused were handed over to the Pakistani authorities.