Ishaq Dar not subject to any red notice: Interpol – Newspaper

LONDON: The government's attempts to pressure former finance minister Ishaq Dar suffered a setback this week when it was learned that Interpol, the international body that facilitates police cooperation and crime control worldwide, has said the exiled leader PML-N is not subject. to any red notice or broadcast.

Interpol General Secretariat in a letter available with Dawn He said: "Mr. Dar Mohammad Ishaq, born on May 13, 1950, is not subject to a red notification or broadcast from Interpol."

The decision was taken by Interpol during its 109th session in July.

“After an exhaustive examination of the elements before it, the commission discovered that the questioned data raised questions about compliance with the applicable standards. As a result, he considered that the retention of this data in the Interpol information system did not comply with the Interpol rules and decided that they should be removed, "he said.

Last year, the former president of the Supreme Court, Saqib Nisar, repeatedly demanded to know Mr. Dar's whereabouts during the court hearings, and showed great interest in his extradition from the United Kingdom, where he currently resides. In July 2018, the attorney general told the higher court that the Interior Ministry, at the request of the Federal Investigation Agency, had issued red arrest warrants and was now awaiting a response from Interpol. The court was also informed that Mr. Dar's property in Pakistan had been confiscated.

PML-N celebrates the announcement as a victory; The government says that development is not related to extradition

At a hearing in September 2018, additional attorney general Nayyar Abbas Rizvi had informed the court that the government was taking steps to take Back home for which contacts with Interpol had been established for the issuance of arrest warrants red "But the matter is still pending with Interpol," he said, adding that it usually takes a few months to extradite an individual.

Ali Dar, Mr. Dar's son, said Dawn that his father hired a lawyer shortly after he saw news of the government’s request from Interpol. "Initially, when we discovered that the [the government] He wrote to Interpol, we immediately hired a lawyer who gave Interpol our point of view, ”he said. "We inform them about Mr. Dar's health problems and also inform them about the merits of the cases against him to corroborate our innocence." He added that the lawyer submitted audits of Mr. Dar's accounts "reconciled to the last penny" to Interpol.

This summer, at the 109th Interpol session between July 1 and 5, the international body studied Mr. Dar's request in accordance with his procedures and decided to remove Mr. Dar's name from his database due to non-compliance of the rules.

While the PML-N leader, Shahbaz Sharif, has welcomed the development as proof of Dar's innocence, the government says that the elimination of the red notice is unrelated to his extradition.

"The elimination of Ishaq Dar's name is not related to the extradition case against him," said the prime minister's special assistant, Shahzad Akbar. Dawn. Mr. Akbar also said that the request to Interpol about Mr. Dar was not initiated or prosecuted by the Asset Recovery Unit, and that the main focus of his department is in the case of extradition.

"We have highlighted Mr. Dar's extradition to the UK authorities. Although we are doing our best to accelerate it, these things take time. The UK authorities have sent us questions to which NAB has responded."

Akbar added that the government is now waiting for the British secretary of state to sign documents related to the extradition of Dar, after which they expect the case to go to court.

When asked why the government is spending so much time and funds on a complicated extradition case that is difficult to prove, Akbar said that no Public Ministry funds are being spent on this, since he has not made any trip to the UK . but he has contacted the representatives of the United Kingdom in Pakistan.

When asked to comment on the controversy that was being courted by the Asset Recovery Unit, Akbar said it was formed after an order of the Supreme Court to recover the ransacked wealth. "[It was formed] to stop money laundering, remove Pakistan's name from the FATF lists and ensure coordination between all institutions. "

How to challenge a red notice

A red notice is a request to authorities around the world to provisionally locate and arrest a person awaiting extradition. Interpol publishes it at the request of a member country and must comply with the constitution and rules of Interpol. A red notice is not an international arrest warrant and does not lead to an automatic arrest in the United Kingdom.

The London-based Kingsley Napley law firm and expert in complex extradition cases explained the following in a statement: "Although the nature and basis of any approach will vary from case to case, it is possible to challenge a Red Notice on the reasons why it offends the particular rules of Interpol, that is, its Constitution and the Rules on data processing, for example, the Constitution prevents Interpol from undertaking any intervention or activity of a political, military, religious nature or racial & # 39 ;, while the Rules on data processing prevent Interpol from issuing a red notice where the crime originates from a violation of laws or regulations of an administrative nature or arising from private disputes. "

He added that a red Interpol warning can severely inhibit a person's freedom and have drastic consequences for a person's reputation.

In a statement issued last night, the NAB in Islamabad said: "Interpol has no right to declare anyone innocent because only Interpol is contacted for the arrest of the person in question."

Regarding Ishaq Dar's red notice rejected by Interpol, NAB said it is considering other options. “Cases against Dar can only be tried in Pakistan. If Ishaq Dar is so convinced of his innocence that he should return and defend himself, "he added.

Published on Dawn, November 5, 2019