British Home Secretary Priti Patel replied to Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar’s letter regarding the extradition and deportation of the former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, who is currently residing in London and who the Pakistani government wants to be sent back from the British capital, reported a local media outlet.
Akbar had previously in a letter told the British home secretary that the United Kingdom was “duty-bound” to return Nawaz to Pakistan. Patel has replied that the British government would be willing to consider the process after a formal extradition request has been filed.
However, Patel also pointed out that the UK government is subject to international law and cannot go against the established legal principles. As such, it was not ready to fulfil the deportation request.
It is pertinent to mention that according to the provision of UK law, an extradition request is officially confirmed when the target is arrested and put in detention.
Furthermore, a British flight to extradite about three dozen illegal immigrants from the UK to Pakistan was cancelled by the government at the last minute, reported The News and British tabloid The Sun.
The flight to Islamabad on October 20 was not given clearance at the last minute by the Pakistan government and the UK authorities were left with no choice but to take the deportees back to their detention centres. The cancellation cost the UK around £300,000.
Pakistan had previously warned that it won’t accept illegal immigrants if the UK won’t return Nawaz.
Source: link