No extradition request made to Pakistan: MEA
NEW DELHI: India has made requests to extradite fugitives from those countries with whom it doesn’t have any extradition treaty, however, Pakistan is not among them, reveals a response under RTI from the ministry of external affairs.
Normally, two countries sign an extradition treaty to hand over fugitives to each other for trial and punishment.
The Indian government has made requests to 24 countries to extradite 124 fugitives, however, five of these — Denmark, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Venezuela and Zambia — are countries with whom it doesn’t have any extradition treaty.
Despite the fact that Pakistan has reportedly given shelter to India’s most wanted criminals such as Dawood Ibrahim and Lashkar founder Hafiz Saeed, the Indian government hasn’t made any extradition requests so far.
HT’s application under the Right To Information (RTI) Act to the MEA got a response from its Consular, Passport & Visa (CPV) division which said that “India has not made any extradition request with Pakistan.”
Experts say that an extradition request, with or without a treaty, is only possible when two countries share normal and peaceful diplomatic relations.
› We expect some cooperation with other countries to whom we have made extradition request without having any treaty. That’s not the case with Pakistan.
AJAI SAHNI, Counter-terrorism expert
“We expect some cooperation with other countries to whom we have made extradition request without having any treaty. That’s not the case with Pakistan,” says Ajai Sahni, an expert on counter-terrorism.
“Do you think any request to Pakistan to extradite criminals will be of any significance when it is shamelessly encouraging terrorism in India?,” he questioned.
SD Muni, an expert on international relations, says that when a country makes a request for extradition it has to agree to certain terms and conditions such as criminals will not be hanged etc.
“Why will we ensure this to Pakistan when it’s continuously sending terrorists in India?,” he says.
Relations between India and Pakistan have been frosty over the past years amid several terror attacks in India.