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Former Taliban ambassador moves Pakistani court against handing over to US

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Oct 14 , IRNA

Pakistan-Taliban Envoy

Former Taliban ambassador in Islamabad Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef has decided to file a case in Pakistani court against his handing over by Pakistani authorities to the US army.

Zaeef says he was handed over by Pakistani officials to the U.S soldiers at a formal ceremony on Peshawar airport in January 2002 two days after he was picked from his residence in Islamabad.

He was first taken to Afghanistan and later transferred to the U.S detention facility at Guantanamo. He was freed in September 2005.

"I was living legally in Islamabad under the monitoring of Pakistani security. My hand over to the Americans by Pakistanis was an illegal act," Zaeef said in an exclusive interview.

Zaeef is still restricted at his residence at Khushhal Mena area of Kabul and soldiers are deployed outside his residence. He can go out of Kabul city with permission of the government.

"My hand over was a joke with my dignity. It was an attack on my honor," Zaeef said in interview.

"I have now decided to file case in Pakistani court as I could not do it earlier because I was at Guantanamo for four years and I could not do anything there".

"Later when I was freed, I could not make decision because of some restrictions while I was in Afghanistan".

He said he consulted legal experts and decided to refer his case to the court to take "revenge on my insult from those people who have attacked my dignity".

The former Taliban ambassador said that he has hired the services of senior Supreme Court lawyer Hashmat Habib who will pursue the case, adding that he has signed legal documents.

"I have respect for the people of Pakistan, judiciary and law as Pakistan has done very good to me. The people of Pakistan had had very good relations with me. They are Muslims and I respect them".

"This is my right to ask as to why my diplomatic immunity was trampled. It is my rights to demand my rights. I was handed over to the Americans despite having permission to stay. I had valid visa for several months when I was handed over to the US soldiers under the pretext that my visa was expired," Zaeef said.