Interpol again refuses to extradite Haqqani

LONDON: The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has refused to act against former Pakistan ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, sources familiar with the case have confirmed.

The government of Pakistan is now considering asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to approach the US government for Haqqani’s extradition after second refusal by the Interpol. As a matter of policy, the US govt doesn’t consider extradition in political cases and in the case of Haqqani it’s almost impossible that the US govt will take any action.

The Supreme Court has been informed about the refusal by the Interpol Haqqani’s case. In January 2018, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had reopened the Memogate case based on a petition filed in November 2011 by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and several others and demanded that Haqqani be produced before the Supreme Court.

The FIA registered a case for embezzlement and corruption against Haqqani in March 2018 relating to his tenure as ambassador (2008-2011), expecting that a criminal charge would result in Interpol acting against Haqqani.In April 2018, Interpol turned down the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s request to issue arrest warrants for Haqqani, who is now based in Washington. “The General Secretariat of the International Criminal Police Organisation, Interpol, hereby certifies that as of today (April 18, 2018), Mr. Husain Haqqani, born on July 1, 1956, is not subject to an Interpol Blue Notice or diffusion and is not known in Interpol’s data basis,” a letter issued by Interpol’s office of legal affairs said at the time.