ISLAMABAD: On Monday, a special cabinet committee finalised the recommendations for the Pakistan-UK Return and Readmission Agreement, deciding to send the paper to London for consultation before submitting it to the federal cabinet for approval.
The Interior Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, presided over the meeting. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari were present at the meeting. Shehzad Akbar, the Prime Minister’s Interior Adviser, was absent from the meeting.
During the discussion, the ministers drew attention to some inconsistencies in the agreement’s clauses. The agreement proposal was later finalised. The committee decided to consult with the British government on the agreement.
According to the final document, the deal will allow citizens who have been convicted by the courts to return home, and all avenues for submitting appeals will have been exhausted. The agreement will apply to persons who have been convicted of illegally residing in Pakistan or the United Kingdom.
The Return and Readmission Agreement will be submitted to the Cabinet for final approval after consultation with the United Kingdom. This deal, however, is distinct from the extradition agreement that the two governments are considering.
The committee resolved to finalise the Pakistan-UK Extradition Agreement, which will allow for the extradition of convicted criminals between the two countries. In 2019, the UK government handed Pakistan a draught of the Extradition Agreement.
If a person flees to the UK after being convicted by the courts, they can be turned over under the extradition treaty. Pakistan has requested the repatriation of former finance minister Ishaq Dar in 2019, but the British government had not yet given him back.
