ISLAMABAD, 18 August 2006 – A British team of investigators has arrived in Islamabad to question a British national of Pakistani heritage about the alleged terror bombing of US bound flights from British airports. The team is also discussing with Pakistani authorities issues relating to the extradition of the Brit.
“Yes a British team has come here but we will be discussing legal matters about the extradition of British national Rashid Rauf,” said Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao yesterday.
There is no extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan. The British investigators are supposedly also seeking cooperation from Pakistan to locate other supposed Al-Qaeda operatives.
Pakistan tipped off Britain about the alleged Al-Qaeda plot to cause explosions on USA bound flights from the UK following the arrest of Rauf in Bahawalpur, a town located on the Pak-India border.
Following interrogation, Rashid, who is from Birmingham in the West Midlands, confirmed the involvement of his brother Tayib Rauf in an Al-Qaeda plot. Subsequently, Tayib Rauf was arrested with 23 other British Muslims in raids across London and Birmingham last week.
The Rauf brother’s father, who is originally from the Azad Kashmir town of Mirpur, recently told a private television channel, “My sons are innocent. They live in the UK for their means of livelihood.”
In spite of the fact that the Pakistan government has received a message of thanks from Prime Minister Tony Blair and Home Secretary John Reid following the tip off; the US media continues to criticize Pakistan saying that it harbors terrorists.
Zarmani Afridi, who lives in Kausar Colony, Bahwalpur, told Arab News that many plain clothed men had been seen monitoring the headquarters’ of Jaish-e-Muhammad, a banned militant organization. Afridi added that Rashid Raux.f was supposedly a Jaish-e-Muhammad activist and had lived in Bahawalpur under the name of Mohammad Khalid.
At the diplomatic level Pakistan maintains that British suspects are not linked with any political of religious organizations. But the security agencies are leaving no stone unturned in scanning records of cell phones, e-mails, flights, immigration, and people coming and leaving Pakistan.
In addition, the British police have also brought details of some Africans living in Pakistan who are supposedly linked with Al-Qaeda. Pakistani authorities deny the presence of any Africans in its tribal region. Nevertheless, many Somalis and Eritreans, mostly drug dealers, have been arrested at Islamabad airport. The local High Court in Peshawar yesterday granted bail to eight foreigners who were picked up by security agencies for their suspected links with Al-Qaeda.
The foreigners, mainly from Tajakistan, Algeria, Somalia, Kirghystan and other Central Asian republics, were later released after they emerged innocent. In addition it was reported earlier this month that an apparent top Al-Qaeda operative of Eritrean nationality was picked by security agencies while crossing into Pakistan from Afghanistan.
