KARACHI: The Sindh police team set up to secure custody of Uzair Jan Baloch — the alleged leader of one of the criminal gangs operating in Lyari and reportedly arrested by Interpol in Dubai earlier this month — is still waiting for the nod from Islamabad, where authorities are busy meeting diplomatic formalities before the team flies to the Gulf state, a senior official said on Thursday.

He said that the team led by an SSP rank officer waited as the federal authorities — both the interior and the foreign ministries — were finalising all the formalities with the UAE government and Pakistani diplomats there and it was stated that these formalities would be completed within a week, allowing the police to finish the rest of the job.

Also read: Team set up to get Uzair’s custody from Interpol

“The Sindh police team is well prepared,” said the official. “But their role has not yet begun as the custody of a wanted man from other country who has been arrested by Interpol requires several formalities, which are solely the subject of the federal government. We are waiting for the go-ahead from Islamabad and that we expect by next week.”

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play