British national charged with murder to be tried by Pak courts

A British man, who murdered eight British citizens, has expressed his wish to be tried by the Pakistani courts.

Shahid Mehmood, a Pakistani origin British national, is charged with killing eight British citizens of a single family, reports Dawn.

Mehmood approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his possible extradition to the United Kingdom. IHC Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Kasi after the preliminary hearing issued a stay order in the matter.

Mehmood along with three other co-accused Shahid Iqbal, Nazar Hussain and Shakeel Shahzad threw a petrol bomb in a house situation on Osborne Road, Huddersfield, England, in which all eight people sleeping in the house were murdered.

After committing the offence, Mehmood ran away from the UK and came to Pakistan, the documents said.

The British Government raised the matter with Pakistan through diplomatic channels and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Mehmood upon receiving the extradition request last January.

He was taken into custody on January 22, 2015, and produced before the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad.

Before the Additional Commissioner, the suspect said that he was arrested by the British Police on May 12, 2002, and interrogated before being released on bail.

He pleaded that the British Government could not extradite him since there is no extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan.

The accused offered to be tried by the Pakistani courts, saying that he could pay the heirs of the deceased blood money as he is permitted to pay a certain amount under Islamic laws.

The FIA admitted there is no extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan, but said that a suspect could be extradited if the government issues a notification under Section 4 of the Extradition Act 1972, which has been issued and published in the official gazette by the competent authority.

The FIA's rejoinder added that the suspect had violated British laws and could only be prosecuted in the UK.