Suspect accused of terror plot not a citizen of Pakistan: interior ministry

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday sought a copy of an inquiry report prepared by a district magistrate which had recommended that an American citizen of Pakistani origin, accused of facilitating the Islamic State – Da’esh – in a plan to attack New York, should be extradited.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui sought the record by May 9.

On March 27, Justice Siddiqui had stayed the process initiated by Islamabad’s district administration to extradite Talha Haroon. The move came after Haroon’s father, Rashid, had approached the high court and sought its intervention to stop the process.



Rashid, through his counsel Tariq Asad, had contended that Talha had been falsely accused of being a fugitive.

He had made the secretary of the interior ministry, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general, Adiala Jail superintendent and the district administration as respondents.

Suspect not a citizen

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry submitted its para-wise comments in the case wherein it stated that “Talha Haroon (petitioner’s son) is not a citizen of Pakistan, therefore, no fundamental rights can be accrued under the Constitution of Pakistan.”

The ministry said that Talha was a US Citizen by birth and had not applied to forego his US nationality and had entered Pakistan on a visa.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2017.