Pak rejects Saeed’s extradition over lack of treaty with India
Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch speaks during the weekly briefing in Islamabad, November 02, 2023. PHOTO: ANADOLU AGENCY
Pakistan on Friday apparently rejected an Indian request seeking extradition of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the Nov 2008 Mumbai attacks, citing lack of treaty regarding the move between the two countries.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in a statement confirmed that India made the request for extradition.
“Pakistan has received a request from the Indian authorities, seeking extradition of Hafiz Saeed in a so-called money laundering case,” the spokesperson said. “It is pertinent to note that no bilateral extradition treaty exists between Pakistan and India.”
Without explicitly saying it, the statement clearly suggested that Pakistan would not entertain the Indian request because of lack of an extradition treaty between the two countries.
Earlier, the Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson told reporters in New Delhi that the Indian government made a formal communication to extradite Saeed.
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"The person in question is wanted in numerous cases in India. He is also a UN-proscribed terrorist. In this regard, we have conveyed a request along with relevant supporting documents to the government of Pakistan to extradite him to India to face trial in a particular case," the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson told the media.
"We have been flagging the issue of activities that he has been wanted for. This is a recent request," he added.
Shortly after the Mumbai attacks in Dec 2008, Saeed was listed at the UN 1267/1989 al Qaeda Sanctions Committee as an individual associated with the al Qaeda terrorist organisation and, thus, subject to international sanctions.
The US announced a reward of $10 million for information about Saeed.
Last year, a court sentenced him to 31 years imprisonment on terror financing charges. The move by Pakistan was aimed at complying with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plan of action to get out its monitoring list.