ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court Wednesday dismissed plea challenging extradition of Pakistani origin British citizens, who are allegedly involved in killing of eight British nationals in the United Kingdom.
Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi also vacated stay earlier granted in the case on the accused extradition matter.
The accused Shahid Mehmood, who is facing charges of killing eight Pakistani-origin British citizens of a single family, had approached IHC against his possible extradition to the United Kingdom.
Initially, the court had granted stay in the matter but with the dismissal of Mehmood’s petition the stay stands vacated enabling the federal government to extradite the accused to the UK.
In his defence, Mehmood took the plea that the government could not extradite him since there is no extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan. Besides, he said, the British police issued arrest warrants after over a decade.
Mehmood’s counsel, Qamar Afzal, pleaded before the court that the additional commissioner did not properly examine the matter and that his inquiry report in the matter was flawed.
Deputy Attorney General Fazalur Rehman Niazi argued that Mehmood being a fugitive of British court could not claim any relief from Pakistani courts.
He added the accused wanted to be tried in Pakistan as he believes that he could be absolved from the murder case after paying blood money to the legal heirs of the slain family.
Niazi said that Mehmood was provided complete opportunity of defence and the commissioner recommended his extradition after a detailed examination.
FIA official said although there was no extradition treaty between the said countries but if the government issues a notification under section 4 (application of act to non-treaty states) of the Extradition Act 1972, then it could be handed over.
It is pertinent to mention here that on May 12, 2002, Mehmood along with three other accomplices, Shahid Iqbal, Nazar Hussain and Shakeel Shahzad, threw a petrol bomb in a house located at Osborne Road in Huddersfield, England, in which all the eight people sleeping in the house were killed.
The fire had turned the house into an inferno and claimed the lives of three generations, including five children and three adults. The house went up in smoke when the petrol was set alight by the killers resulting in the death of Zaibun Nisa, 54, Nefessa Aziz, 35, Muhammad Ateequr Rehman, 18, Tayyaba Batool, 13, Rabia Batool, 10, Ateeqa Nawaz, 5, Aneesa Nawaz, 2, and six-month-old Najeeba Nawaz.
