RAWALPINDI, Oct 10: Apparently, the police of the twin cities have sought the interior ministry’s help to be allowed to go to Afghanistan to arrest Roohullah, a high-profile fugitive wanted for the murder of former attorney-general and retired judge of Peshawar High Court Justice Sardar Khan.

Sources revealed that after escaping from the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Rawalpindi in July, Roohullah has been spotted in Afghanistan where he is allegedly being sheltered by Mangal Bagh’s militia.

Dawn has also learnt that a letter had been written by the police to the interior ministry seeking permission from Afghanistan government to send a joint police team to arrest Roohullah.

Two police officers have been nominated so far, and they are senior inspector Asghar Goraya, presently posted as Station House Officer Ganjmandi, Pindi, and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Islamabad Altaf Khattak.

Another source added that nearly two weeks back, a senior police officer had directly approached the Afghan ambassador in Islamabad on the issue. But given the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries, the ambassador declined to entertain the request.

A senior police officer, requesting not to be named, said: “Though the Afghan ambassador was briefed in detail about the escapee and his current whereabouts, he was not convinced.

If the twin cities police are allowed to travel to Afghanistan and the Afghan police assist them, the fugitive could be captured and brought back to Pakistan.”

He admitted that the chances of being given such an access were bleak and unprecedented but the police would make all possible efforts to arrest the accused.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Omer Hayat when contacted confirmed that a request had been made to the authorities concerned for granting visas for the police officers who belonged to Rawalpindi-Islamabad police and they were still waiting for a reply.

He also revealed that efforts by the police were also in progress to arrest the fugitive and bring him back through Interpol.

On July 29, Roohullah had escaped dramatically from medical ward of DHQ Hospital Rawalpindi where he was being treated under the custody of Adiala jail.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the plan to escape was hatched by him and a double-murder suspect Raja Arsalan.

Roohullah had assured Raja Arsalan in the jail that he had close links with some influential people in the judiciary and he could help him in getting bail and in return he had to help him flee from the jail.

With help from jail staff and the hospital doctor, Roohullah managed to reach the DHQ Hospital and escaped in a black car with his wife. It claimed that Roohullah and his wife were driven to Swabi by Raja Saqib, a resident of sector F-8/4, Islamabad.

After interrogating the two facilitators for more than six days, the Rawalpindi police (Ganjmandi) brought them here for investigation while a separate case has been registered against three Islamabad policemen for their role in Roohullah’s escape.