The United Kingdom has reiterated its request to Pakistan to extradite British national Rashid Rauf following his arrest last year on the suspicion of masterminding the 7/7 bombings in London, Daily Times has learnt.Foreign Office (FO) sources said the British High Commission here had recently submitted a formal extradition request to the FO, which had forwarded it to the Interior Ministry and the concerned intelligence agencies for consideration.
| Rauf fled to Pakistan after killing his uncle, Muhammad Saeed, on April 24, 2002. |
According to the sources, the ministry said further that the withdrawal of terror cases against the suspected militant from Airport Police Station, Rawalpindi was necessary for RaufÂ’s extradition. PakistanÂ’s Penal Code, under Section 5(2)(F), blocks the surrender of a fugitive offender if they are accused of serious offences in Pakistan. Sources said London had requested RaufÂ’s custody under the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters for Investigation Agreement, but the request was declined because of the absence of any such agreement. They said that Islamabad, however, allowed British police to interrogate Rauf on the Birmingham murder case and his alleged involvement in terrorism.