LONDON: The UK has mentioned that there isn’t any extradition treaty signed with Pakistan and the British authorities doesn’t “shelter” or “harbour” anybody.
UK’s Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth said this in a letter written to East Ham’s Labour MP Stephen Timms — who had written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Workplace on 16 December to ask whether or not any preparations had been made to ship again Nawaz Sharif.
Timms had forwarded a letter of his British Pakistani constituent Khalid Lodhi to the UK authorities’s headquarters.
Minister of State for South Asia Lord Tariq Ahmad, replying to Timms, famous {that a} constitution flight to Pakistan had departed from the UK on December 2020, with 18 folks aboard.
It’s pertinent to say right here that Geo.television had reported that Pakistani authorities had rejected the flight, nonetheless, the UK issued a authorized motion menace, after which it was allowed to land within the nation.
The state minister, mentioning that he was unable to touch upon particular person circumstances — Nawaz Sharif’s extradition — however assured that the “UK government does not ‘shelter’ or ‘harbour’ anyone.”
“This means through which to seek formal UK Government assistance regarding the return of individuals to Pakistan is through the formal extradition process [sic].”
“The UK and Pakistan do not currently have an extradition treaty. Extraditions are still possible and have taken place, however, and if any extradition request were to be submitted through proper channels, it would be considered in line with the UK law,” Ahmad said.
The minister noted that officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office had recently responded directly to Khalid Lodhi’s letter.
The FCO’s Pakistan section had said: “We are aware that Mr Sharif is in the UK. The UK law sets out clearly and publicly what the Government can and cannot do on immigration matters, we act strictly in accordance with the rules on all sides. Mr Sharif’s status under Pakistani laws is a matter for the Pakistan government and legal system. As such, the non-bailable arrest warrants which have been served by the Pakistan High Commission in London have no legal bearing on his current status in the UK. The UK police cannot arrest someone in the UK on the basis of non-UK court orders.”
“Pakistan and Britain do not have an extradition treaty. However, extraditions are still possible and have taken place. If an extradition request were to be submitted through proper channels it would be considered in line with the UK laws,” the letter added.
Speaking to Geo.tv, Lodhi said that he had penned a letter to UK Home Minister Priti Patel and informed her of Sharif’s status. In the letter, he mentioned that the ex-premier had been “convicted in Pakistan”, had “absconded” and must be despatched again “immediately”.
Lodhi’s letter mentioned that Nawaz got here to London for his medical remedy and has now stayed within the UK for greater than a 12 months and the UK authorities ought to ship him again to Pakistan.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the Islamabad Excessive Courtroom (IHC) had declared Nawaz a proclaimed offender within the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references.
It’s pertinent to say right here that after Timms wrote to 10 Downing Avenue, over a dozen Pakistanis from his constituency had signed a petition protesting that the MP mustn’t get entangled in Pakistani politics and that Nawaz had real causes to remain in London.
The MP informed this reporter that he solely handed on his constituent’s letter to PM Boris Johnson and the letter didn’t carry his private views.