UK won't extradite Pervez Musharraf

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The United Kingdom will not extradite former Pakistan military ruler Pervez Musharraf on the red warrant issued by the Pakistan government, diplomatic sources said.

“Pakistan and the UK do not have any extradition treaty so it will not be possible to extradite Pervez Musharraf”, a British diplomat in Islamabad, told Deccan Chronicle.

The Interior Ministry, on Wednesday, issued a red warrant to Interpol’s headquarters for the arrest of Pervez Musharraf on the orders of Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case.

The warrant reads that Mr. Musharraf should be brought back to Pakistan in order to carry out proceedings against him in the murder probe.

The investigation officer of the murder probe, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Deputy Director Khalid Rasool, had forwarded the arrest documents to the Interior Ministry, which moved it to the relevant authority of Interpol in Pakistan.

Copies of the statements given by the then director-general of Counter Intelligence wing of then Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Javed Iqbal Cheema, and former Director General of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Ejaz Shah have also been sent to Interpol. The warrant has been sent via e-mail and through post to the Interpol headquarters.

The diplomat said: “We have not been contacted officially by the Pakistan government, but the UK will not extradite any person on Pakistan government's demand since we don't have any such agreement'.

Mr. Musharraf, who ruled the country from 1999 to 2008, has formed a new party – the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) – to contest the next general elections.

However, the Pakistan government has announced to arrest him on return, a threat that has forced Mr. Musharraf to reconsider his comeback plans.

Another diplomat was quoted by a local newspaper as saying that the UK does not normally hand over wanted persons to countries where the death penalty is enforced.

He said if a country makes an appeal to or approaches the British government through competent international organizations, the request is supposed to be processed by the British judicial system before a decision is taken.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar was also in London last week, and she had a meeting with senior officials there.

She did not take up the question of the handing over of Pervez Musharraf to her country in the course of her interaction with the British authorities, officials said.

The British diplomat said that it is not only the former military ruler but also a number of people belonging to various countries that are living in the United Kingdom, and they are wanted by their government on different counts.

"As long they are obeying the law in their host country, they are not deported," he added.