Global affairs: Man convicted for murder in UK, released from Karachi jail, caught in Ecuador

The convict seeks documents to secure release.

KARACHI: A Pakistani man, who was convicted for killing a millionaire's son in the United Kingdom and prematurely released from Karachi jail, has sought certified documents to secure his release in Ecuador.

Rizwan Habib Alvi, whose alleged release before serving jail in home country had led to cancellation of the prisoners exchange treaty between the UK and Pakistan, was recently arrested once again in Quito.

His brother, Zeeshan Habib Alvi, approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday seeking a direction for the home and prison authorities to provide documents regarding his extradition and his jail term served in Karachi. He named the provincial home secretary, the prisons IG and the superintendent of Karachi Central Jail as respondents.

The petitioner said his brother was given 18 years in jail by the UK Criminal Court in February 2004 in a case of murder and deception of property. After serving some time in a UK prison, Rizwan was moved to Pakistan on the request of the federal government after the fulfilment of the legal process for extradition of Pakistanis convicted abroad, said Advocate Amir Mansoob Qureshi. He informed the two judges that Rizwan was shifted to Karachi jail in September or October in 2009.

While serving in the British jail, Rizwan had been making noise to prove his innocence through UK ministers and other organisations, claimed Qureshi, adding that the authorities told Alvi to complete the remaining term in his homeland.

The lawyer maintained that his client's brother served the remaining sentence of six years in Pakistan. Subsequently, he was released from Karachi jail between November and December, 2010, after the federal government awarded him remission according to the law, he added.

The court was told that Rizwan left for Malaysia soon after he was released. Recently, he was arrested from Ecuador's capital city for the same murder for which, according to his brother's lawyer, he has already served his sentence.

He claimed that the petitioner had on different occasions requested the respondents provide him certified copies of the documents including his trial abroad, term served in the UK jail, his extradition and the period he served in Pakistan, but it was never provided to him. He pleaded the court direct the respondents to provide certified copies of these documents so they can show it to the authorities in Ecuador and secure his release.

A division bench headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah issued notices to the respondents and the Sindh advocate-general to submit their replies by April 9.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2015.