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Pakistani court stops deportation of Afghan Taliban leaders

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Lahore, Feb 27, IRNA -- A Pakistani court on Friday asked the government not to hand over five top Afghan detained Taliban leaders to any country.

Pakistani and American intelligence agents, in a joint operation, arrested senior Taliban leader Mulla Abdul Ghani, from Karachi this month, according to media reports.

Pakistani authorities also reportedly arrested Maulvi Kabeer, former governor of eastern Ningrahar province, Mulla Abdul Salam, the Taliban's shadow governor in Kunduz, Mullah Muhammad of Baghlan and Ameer Muawiyia, described as the Taliban's Liaison Officer for al-Qaeda militants based in Pakistan's tribal areas close to the Afghan border.

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry had hinted to hand over the Taliban leaders to Afghanistan after the Afghan authorities make a formal request.

A Pakistan rights group had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, arguing that the Afghan Taliban leaders have been arrested in Pakistan and should be tried in the country in accordance with the law.

The Defense Human rights Commission in its petition also said if there is no criminal charge against them or are no reasonable grounds of their detention, the respondents be directed to release them forthwith.

The court sought the full record about the Taliban leaders and fixed March 15 for next hearing.

The court decision came a day after the Afghan government said that Pakistan has agreed to hand over the Taliban leaders after completing some legal obligations.

Local media have reported that Pakistan has rejected an American request to hand over the Taliban leaders to the United States.

The Director of the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Robert Mueller made the request in his meetings with Pakistani intelligence officials in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are holding talks on an extradition treaty, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said.

Sources said Afghan Minister Minister Muhammad Hanif Atmar in his visit to Islamabad on Wednesday handed over a list of 42 Taliban leaders, whom the Afghan government claims are hiding in Pakistan.
**1424

End News / IRNA / News Code 982067