An image of Amer Ahmad's birth certificate acquired by The Express tribune.
LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said on Friday they had traced the residential address mentioned on a birth certificate of Amer Ahmad, a former Deputy Treasurer of the State of Ohio as well as ex-Chicago City Comptroller, while sources said there was a possibility that he may be repatriated back to the United States.
The FIA said on April 30 that while it had received numerous calls from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to hand over Amer Ahmed, the accused former Ohio state treasurer’s aide arrested in Pakistan.
On Friday the agency reiterated that the US authorities must follow protocol, even as the FIA obtained a one-day physical remand for Ahmad.
Ahmad is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after pleading guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges. He is currently being held by the FIA on charges of entering the country on forged documents.
One-day remand
The FIA have started their investigations after obtaining a physical remand of Ahmad after presenting him Ahmad before a Judicial Magistrate on Friday. Duty magistrate Tariq Mehmood Kahot granted only one day of physical remand despite the fact that agency had requested for seven days of remand.
Sources say that the judicial magistrate Section 30 Mazhar Hussain Ramy was on leave and duty magistrates normally granted only one-day physical remand because of the interim arrangement.
Mysterious case of the birth certificate
In their investigations, the FIA have found Ahmad’s birth certificate issued from the Lahore Union Council No93 with the stamp of the respective Secretary Union Council on April 24, 2014.
This certificate issued on the form titled ‘Birth Certificate’, Government of the Punjab.
The name and Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) numbers of Ahmad’s parents Shamim Ahmad and Riffat Ahmad were mentioned on the certificate.
When the FIA team visited the listed address in Lahore for verification of Ahmad’s birth certificate, they found tenants living there who said they had shifted to address recently. The neighbours confirmed that various tenants had been residing at this address.
Some residents of the address denied knowledge of any development regarding Ahmad’s return to Pakistan or his link with this address.
In contrast, a certificate of live birth issued by the Ohio Department of Health Division of Vital Statistics, available with The Express Tribune, Ahmed is mentioned as being born in the state of Ohio in the US on September 21, 1974.
According to particulars of this certificate Ahmad was born in Akron, Ohio at the Saint Thomas Hospital, with Riffat Ahmad and Shamim Ahmad listed as the mother and father respectively.
Extradition or repatriation
Sources familiar with the matter reveal that although no extradition treaty between Pakistan and United States exists, there are certain provisions under which Pakistan and the US have been able to arrange transfer of certain people.
This is what happened in the case of former Bank of Punjab (BoP) president Hamesh Khan, who had dual citizenship of US and Pakistan, but was deported to Pakistan by US authorities.
In the case of Ahmad, the Interpol has also issued red warrants for his arrest, which may potentially be the vehicle for his transfer to FBI jurisdiction.
COMMENTS (5)
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Mr Ahmed, if you care to read it states the country of birth of the parents and not the child!
@ahmed: dear, the state of birth u r referring to is of mother and father.
MR Asad Kharl, If you care to read the certificate it says "the State of Birth if not in USA" is "Pakistan".
Wow. Being deported back to the US. That's a first!