ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has formally written a letter to the authorities in the United Kingdom, seeking extradition of the country’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan confirmed on Tuesday only a few days after the government accused the ex-premier of violating the medical bail conditions.
“The letter has been written to the UK for Nawaz Sharif’s deportation,” Awan said while addressing a press briefing after the federal cabinet meeting here in Islamabad.
She said the former PM had gone to London for treatment after submitting an affidavit in the court, and “we hope he’ll honor his commitment.”
The ex-premier was granted an eight-week medical bail in October last year to get medical treatment in London. The Islamabad High Court allowed him to request an extension from the provincial authorities of Punjab, but the latter turned down his plea last week, citing insufficient legal, moral or medical grounds.
The Punjab government had written several letters to Sharif to submit his medical reports from any hospital in London, but he failed to do that and instead dispatched a medical certificate which was not accepted by the board, Awan said.
“Nawaz Sharif has not been admitted to any UK hospital despite being there for the last 105 days,” she said. The government noted in the letter that the bail period of the ex-PM had expired and he should be extradited to serve his jail term.
In December 2018, Sharif was sentenced to seven years in jail for corruption. He denies any wrongdoing and has termed all charges against him as politically motivated.
Sharif’s party maintains that the three-time ex-premier is critically ill and should not return to Pakistan since that would compromise his medical treatment. “Nawaz Sharif won’t return to Pakistan unless he fully recovers,” Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, a senior PML-N leader, told Arab News on Monday.
According to legal experts, the possibility of Sharif’s deportation was limited in the absence of an extradition treaty between Pakistan and the UK.
“The government can request the UK authorities for Nawaz Sharif’s deportation, but the initiation of a legal process in absence of the extradition treaty is almost impossible,” Barrister Omer Malik told Arab News.
He said that sometimes governments of different countries cooperate with each other over certain issues, including extradition of convicted criminals in the absence of formal treaties.
“It totally depends on relevant UK departments as to how they take the government’s letter [requesting Sharif’s deportation] and if they would like to initiate any legal process on the basis of that,” Malik added.
Pakistan asks UK to extradite ex-PM Sharif
https://arab.news/7nxay
Pakistan asks UK to extradite ex-PM Sharif
- Government says Sharif is not admitted to any UK hospital for treatment
- Legal experts say Sharif’s deportation almost impossible in the absence of an extradition treaty
Pakistan says it seized 32 square kilometers inside Afghanistan as border clashes escalate
- Security official describes ‘limited tactical action’ in Gudwana after Afghan assaults
- Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militants as UN, China and Russia urge restraint
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has seized a 32-square-kilometer area inside Afghanistan following overnight fighting, a security official said on Saturday, as cross-border clashes between the two countries escalated sharply.
A Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said troops carried out a “limited tactical action” in the Gudwana area opposite the Zhob sector along the frontier, capturing Afghan territory after responding to attacks on Pakistani positions.
“On the night of Feb. 26/27, posts opposite the Zhob sector launched anticipated physical attacks on multiple Pakistani positions,” the official said, referring to fighters linked to Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, whom Islamabad identifies as Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA).
“In response to aggressive unprovoked fire and physical attacks, Pakistan security forces launched a limited tactical action on the night of Feb. 27/28 in the general area of Gudwana with a view to capture TTA Tahir Post,” he continued, adding that 32 square kilometers of Afghan territory were seized.
The official said special combat teams crossed the border after preparatory bombardment, supported by intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets providing “real-time battlefield awareness.”
He said 24 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and 37 wounded, with no Pakistani casualties reported.
The claims could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate confirmation from Taliban authorities in Kabul of any territorial loss in the Gudwana area.
The latest clashes erupted after Pakistani airstrikes targeted what Islamabad described as militant hideouts inside Afghanistan over the weekend, triggering retaliatory fire along the frontier and sharply escalating long-running tensions. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering Pakistani Taliban militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation that Afghanistan denies.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday evening that 352 Afghan Taliban fighters had been killed and more than 535 wounded since the latest phase of hostilities began.
Tarar said Pakistani strikes had destroyed 130 check posts, 171 tanks and armored vehicles and targeted 41 locations across Afghanistan by air. Those figures could not be independently verified.
The United Nations, as well as China and Russia, have called for restraint.
The United States said Pakistan has the right to defend itself against cross-border militancy.
