US seeks Omar’s extradition in tourist murder case
ISLAMABAD- The US government has sought Ahmed Saeed Omar Sheikh’s extradition for the killing of an American, who, along with some other Western tourists, was abducted in occupied Kashmir some years back, and not in the Daniel Pearl kidnap and murder case.
The British-born Omar is the alleged prime character in the Pearl case and has been in police custody since last month. An official said that the Americans had demanded Omar’s extradition in the kidnap and murder case of the American tourist, registered in occupied Kashmir. The Pearl case is lodged in Pakistan.
The official said that the government would hold Omar’s trial in the Pearl case in Pakistan if it was able to find sufficient evidence to get him convicted by Pakistani courts otherwise he would be extradited to the United States.
Omar’s point of view is that he remained in the Indian jails for four years and was charge-sheeted in the tourists’ kidnap and murder case but no trial was ever held. His stand is that he cannot be tried in the same case in the United States because nobody can be subjected to double jeopardy under the Americans’ own law. He says that the Americans are working to try him in the same case.
The statement made by Sindh Advocate General Raja Qureshi before the Sindh High Court during the hearing on a petition filed by Omar’s wife three days back clearly indicated that the government would extradite the accused to the United States, and was just waiting for an appropriate time to do so.
Qureshi had said that Omar’s handing over to the United States would not be in contravention of any law of Pakistan. Additionally, the government’s view was that an old extradition treaty existing prior to Independence, adopted by Pakistan after its creation, was relevant if anybody was to be extradited to the United States. Therefore, the argument relating to the absence of such a treaty between Pakistan and the United States does not hold in the official view.
Source: The News
Date:3/9/2002
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