ISLAMABAD, May 21: Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench on Monday reserved judgment in the case of a British national who is being used as a bargaining chip by Pakistan in return for the extradition of some members of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) from London.
Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha heard the case filed by the relatives of Rashid Rauf in which the government’s move to extradite him to Britain in exchange for about eight members of the Balochistan Liberation Army wanted in Pakistan for their alleged hand in sabotage and terrorist activities. The learned judge reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from the petitioner’s counsel, Hashmat Ali Habib.
Presenting his arguments before the superior court judge, Mr Habib feared Rashid Rauf might be handed over to Britain in violation of the necessary formalities.
He said international media had reported that talks about the extradition of Rashid Rauf to Britain were underway.
The Pakistani government has shown willingness to extradite the accused if Britain agreed to return the Balochistan Liberation Army people based in London who the former alleges have been masterminding anti-state activities, he added.
He explained before the learned judge that according to Extradition Act 1972 of Pakistan, the government could not hand over a wanted person unless inquiries had been conducted through a magistrate to prove whether or not the case was strong enough to merit extradition.
But in the case of Rashid Rauf, this process might not be fulfilled, he feared, and prayed before the court that directives might be issued to Pakistani authorities to pursue this legal process.
He said the detainee be allowed to fight his swap and as long as his case was pending before the courts no talks on a deal be held.
Rashid Rauf, a British national of Pakistani origin, was arrested in August 2006 in Multan on charges of his involvement in terrorist activities.
A case was registered against him with Airport Police Station in Rawalpindi.
An anti-terrorism court acquitted him of these charges and ordered his release. But he was not released and implicated in another case of keeping explosives.
While that case is still pending before the special magistrate the government started talks with Britain for his swap in return for extraditing Mehran Baloch, Ghazin Marri, Balach Marri, Khairbiyar, Zamran and three other Balochistan Liberation Army members accused of fighting a low-intensity insurgency in the south-western province of Balochistan.