Pakistan seeks extradition of ‘most wanted terrorist’ from UK

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has requested the United Kingdom the extradition of a most wanted terrorist, accused of planning a suicide attack on former Punjab home minister Shuja Khanzada, who was assassinated on 16 August 2015.

Khanzada was killed after two suspected suicide bombers detonated explosives at his home office in the village of Shadikhan in Attock district.

According to officials in the Ministry of Interior, the extradition of Masood-ul-Haq Seikhvi has been sought after the cabinet’s approval.

Authorities indicate that Masood-ul-Haq’s son-in-law was also involved in the attack on Shuja Khanzada. The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department had previously arrested a suspect who revealed that he had provided shelter to Hamza Shabbir alias Hafiz and Qari Sahil, both of whom carried out the suicide attack on Shuja Khanzada on the instruction of Masood-ul-Haq Seikhvi.

Sources said that Masood-ul-Haq was affiliated with the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Currently, he is on Interpol’s Red List and resides in the United Kingdom.

The federal cabinet had previously approved mutual agreements between the governments of Pakistan and the UK regarding the extradition of three suspects including Masood-ul-Haq to Pakistani.

The suspect was accused of facilitating terrorists at the home of his son-in-law and in his madrassa for terrorist activities, including making suicide jackets and storing explosive materials.

Sources said that Masood-ul-Haq Seikhvi and his son Ibrahim Seikhvi, both are wanted by Pakistan.

The federal cabinet has also requested the return of two other fugitive suspects, Mazhar Rashid and Adnan Rashid, to Pakistan.

The Ministry of Interior has confirmed this development stating that letters have been written to the UK government regarding the extradition of the suspects.

The authorities further stated that the federal cabinet has demanded the extradition of the fugitive suspects.