Transfer of convicts: Cabinet approves prisoner swap deal with US, Europe

Being signatory to the Convention will allow Pakistan to make arrangement for repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

ISLAMABAD:

The federal cabinet has approved signing of the Council of Europe Convention on the transfer of sentenced persons on Wednesday.

Chairing the meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister also directed the interior minister to make arrangements for the early return of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. On attaining accession to this Convention, the United States government will be requested under certain provisions, to make arrangements for repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui who is imprisoned in a US jail.

The cabinet was apprised that it has happened on numerous occasions when Pakistani nationals sentenced to imprisonment by US courts could not be brought back due to absence of any bilateral agreement or a convention to which both countries are signatories.

Under the US law, a person sentenced under federal law may only be repatriated/transferred to country of origin/citizenship if the country in question is a signatory to a prisoner transfer treaty to which the United States is also a signatory.

United States is a signatory to the Council of Europe Convention while Pakistan is not.

Earlier, the recommendations for the extradition of Dr Aafia Siddiqui were sent to the prime minister for final approval. These recommendations were forwarded after the interior ministry and foreign office declared them agreeable. The interior ministry had formed a three-member task force under the supervision of National Crisis Management Cell Director-General Tariq Lodhi that had presented 14 recommendations to the interior ministry.

Inter Governmental Council Resolution

The cabinet also gave its approval for signing of Inter Governmental Council Resolution to CASA-1000 Transmission Project between Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Kyrgyz Republic. The Joint Working Group has prepared recommendations for development of the project on the basis of Contractual Joint Venture and start negotiations on standard terms and conditions in accordance with agreed commercial principles. Signing of the resolution by water and power minister was also approved by the cabinet.

The Inter-Governmental Council (IGC) consists of ministers/deputy ministers of the four countries.

The cabinet considered and gave its approval for signing to increase security cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey. The objective is to increase the current security cooperation between the police organisations of the parties, including capacity building and police training activities, including counter-terrorism, forensics, intelligence and strategic level police management training.

The cabinet also approved the implementation of decisions taken at the meeting of Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP). In the meeting of LJCP held on 4th June 2011, the commission approved certain amendments in the Law and Justice Commission Ordinance 1979, National Judicial Committee Ordinance 2002 and repeal of Federal Court Act 1937, which have now been approved for introduction in the Parliament.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2013.