Malik snubs US, says deputy Taliban leader will not be handed over
February 20th, 2010 - 12:41 pm ICT by ANI
Islamabad, Feb.20 (ANI): Pakistan has made it clear that it will not deport the Afghan Taliban’s second-in command Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, and two other top extremist commanders, who were nabbed this month, to the US.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Pakistani agencies would first investigate Baradar’s links with the banned terrorist network, and could hand him over to Afghanistan if the need arises but not to the US.
“First we will see whether they have violated any law.If they have done it, then the law will take its own course against them, but at the most if they have not done anything, then they will go back to the country of origin, not to the US,” Malik told a foreign news agency.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had described Baradar’s arrest as important and rejected suggestions that Islamabad was not cooperating with Washington against militants.
Baradar was apprehended in a secret joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence forces in Karachi, and has been in Pakistani custody since.
Baradar has been billed as second only to Taliban founder Mohammad Omar and officials have said that his capture is a major blow to the militia, which is fighting to bring down a Western-backed government in Afghanistan. (ANI)
- Lahore High Courts restricts Baradar's extradition to Afghanistan - Feb 26, 2010
- Pak accepts Kabul's demand to hand over Baradar - Feb 25, 2010
- Pak snubs US, turns down request to hand over Baradar - Feb 25, 2010
- CIA wants Pak to hand over Mullah Baradar to Afghanistan for interrogation - Feb 21, 2010
- Pak likely to offer 'deal' to Karzai over Baradar's extradition during his Islamabad visit - Mar 09, 2010
- Taliban deny reports about top military commander Mullah Baradar's arrest - Feb 16, 2010
- Pakistan court stops deportation of top Taliban leader - Feb 26, 2010
- ISI's veiled support to Taliban could spell serious trouble for Pak: Editorial - Aug 25, 2010
- US-Pak joint intelligence operation nabs second Afghan Taliban leader - Feb 18, 2010
- Pakistan to hand over captured Taliban leaders to Kabul - Feb 25, 2010
- Afghan officials slam Pak's 'double game' to derail peace talks with Taliban - Apr 10, 2010
- Mullah Baradar's arrest, a shift in Pak's policy? - Feb 17, 2010
- Three Al-Qaeda associates held in Karachi - Feb 18, 2010
- Pakistan's romance with Afghan Taliban far from over - Feb 17, 2010
- Afghan Taliban no.2 Baradar "singing like a male canary" : Pak official - Mar 12, 2010
Tags: afghan taliban, american intelligence, country of origin, extremist, foreign minister, foreign news, ghani, intelligence forces, interior minister, islamabad, karachi, mehmood, mohammad omar, mullah, pakistani custody, qureshi, rehman malik, snubs, taliban leader, terrorist network
