Extradition on the cards: US citizen shifted from Lahore to Islamabad

Amer Ahmad is likely to be repatriated to US shortly

LAHORE: A US citizen Amer Ahmad, a former deputy treasurer of the State of Ohio as well as ex-Chicago City Comptroller, has been shifted to Islamabad from Camp Jail Lahore and is likely to be repatriated to the US shortly.

Earlier, the US authorities had formally approached Pakistan and requested extradition of Amer Ahmad alias Faisal Sami.

According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) sources, the FIA’s Inspector Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Asghar Baloch shifted Amer Ahmad to Islamabad from Camp Jail Lahore on the basis of arrest warrants, issued by FIA’s additional deputy commissioner general (ADCG) Islamabad – a competent authority regarding extradition.

The FIA arrested Amer Ahmad – a US citizen – in April, 2014 from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, while he was travelling on a fake passport and Pakistani visa.

Following the arrest, the FIA received numerous calls from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) demanding that the accused be handed over to them. However, the FIA had asked the US authorities to follow protocol.

Ahmad is wanted by the FBI as he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges. He is currently in jail on charges of entering Pakistan on forged travelling documents, as well as obtaining fake birth certificate and fake Pakistani identity card.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2014.