UK reiterates extraditions to Pakistan possible but in line with UK law

LONDON: The British government has said that there is no extradition treaty between Pakistan and the UK and the UK government does not shelter or harbour anyone.

The UK government’s Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said this in a letter to East Ham’s Labour MP Stephen Timms who had written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Office on 16 December if any arrangements were made to send back Nawaz Sharif. The East London Labour MP had forwarded a letter of his British Pakistani constituent Khalid Lodhi to 10 Downing Street.

Lord Tariq Ahmed, the Minister of State for South Asia, has now replied directly to the MP, stating that a charter flight to Pakistan successfully departed the UK on 15 December 2020 with 18 immigration offenders on board. The News and Geo had reported exclusively that a chartered flight from the UK to Pakistan was not allowed by the Pakistani authorities to express annoyance but the UK authorities issued legal action threat and then the flight was allowed. The Minister of State for South Asia said that he cannot comment on individual immigration cases “but I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that the UK government does not ‘shelter’ or ‘harbour’ anyone.

The minister added: “This means through which to seek formal UK government assistance regarding the return of individuals to Pakistan is through the formal extradition process. The UK and Pakistan do not currently have an extradition treaty. Extraditions are still possible and have taken place, however, and if any extradition request were to be submitted through the proper channels, it would be considered in line with the UK law.”

The minister noted that officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office had recently responded directly to Khalid Lodhi’s letter.

In that reply, the FCDO stated that the British government cannot take action against Nawaz Sharif on the basis of non-bailable arrest warrants served by the Pakistan High Commission in London.

The FCO’s Pakistan section had said: “We are aware that Mr Sharif is in the UK. The UK law sets out clearly and publicly what the government can and cannot do on immigrations matters, we act strictly in accordance with the rules on all sides. Mr Sharif’s status under Pakistani laws is a matter for the Pakistan government and legal system. As such, the non-bailable arrest warrants which have been served by the Pakistan High Commission in London have no legal bearing on his current status in the UK. The UK police cannot arrest someone in the UK on the basis of non-UK court orders.”

The letter added: “Pakistan and Britain do not have an extradition treaty. However, extraditions are still possible and have taken place. If any extradition request were to be submitted through the proper channels it would be considered in line with the UK laws.”

Khalid Lodhi told The News that he had also written a letter to British Home Minister Priti Patel informing that Sharif has been “convicted in Pakistan”, had “absconded” and should be sent back “immediately”.

The letter said that Nawaz Sharif came to London for his medical treatment and has now stayed in the UK for more than a year and the UK government should send him back to Pakistan. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references.

After Stephen Timms wrote to 10 Downing Street, over a dozen Pakistanis from his own constituency had signed a petition protesting that the MP should not get involved in Pakistani politics and that Nawaz Sharif had genuine reasons to stay in London. The MP told this reporter that he only passed on his constituent’s letter to PM Boris Johnson and the letter didn’t carry his personal views.