SHC seeks reports on action to bring absconding murder suspects back to Karachi

The Sindh High Court has directed the ministries of foreign affairs and interior to submit detailed reports explaining what measures they have taken to bring back to Karachi Pakistani citizens charged with murders. The direction came during a hearing of a petition of Maham Amjad seeking the extradition of Syed Taqi Haider from Dubai.

The petitioner submitted that Haider killed her father Shah in 2008 after he disclosed financial corruption of the accused in an insurance company, and later the suspect fled the country. She asked that the accused be brought back to Karachi and an expeditious trial conducted.The focal person of the home department told the high court that necessary replies to the UAE government regarding the extradition of Syed Taqi Haider Shah had been sent to the ministry of foreign affairs.

The ministry of foreign affairs director said that documents were sent to Pakistan embassy in the UAE and these documents would be forward to the competent authority for the extradition process.A division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha, directed the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of interior to submit reports with regard to any progress in this regard and inform the court whether Taqi Shah had been detained by the UAE authority or he was roaming freely in that country.

Regarding the extradition of Khurrum Nisar from Sweden, who is involved in the murder of a policeman in the Defence area, the court was informed by the Counter Terrorism Department’s SSP that a perpetual arrest warrant had now been received from the trial court and a request had been made to Sindh’s inspector general of police for the issuance of a red warrant against the accused.

He said that the request had been approved by the IGO and the home department and sent to the interior ministry for further action.The court observed that the ministry of interior had been issued a notice for ascertaining the progress but none of the official appeared on behalf of the ministry. The court directed the ministry of interior to submit a report about the status of the red warrant issued against the accused.

The high court was informed that as per the procedure the red notice was to be forwarded by the ministry of interior to the ministry of foreign affairs. It directed the ministries of interior and foreign affairs to ensure that the red warrant is issued to Interpol and in case of non-compliance the ministries will explain why it has not been

issued.