Britain's attempts to secure the extradition of Rashid Rauf, a suspect in a terrorist plot involving the explosion of US-bound passenger jets from Britain, from Pakistan are stalling because of Pakistani demands, The Daily Telegraph reported on Monday.
Citing unidentified officials from both countries, the paper said that Pakistani demands for greater 'reciprocity' have hampered negotiations to secure the 25-year-old Rauf. "Britain has not fulfilled its side of the bargain," a senior Pakistani official told the paper.
"Over the years lists of wanted people have piled up ... England is harbouring all sorts of terrorists and criminals. "The problem is that we find there are double standards. Terrorism is terrorism whether in Pakistan, London or Madrid."
According to the Telegraph, Pakistan has presented demands for eight suspected members of the Baloch Liberation Army, which is fighting an insurgency in Balochistan.
Pakistan's foreign ministry denied this month reports that Rauf would be extradited to Britain in exchange for leaders. Rauf's arrest in August by Pakistan sparked a world-wide security alert and arrests in Britain amid fears of a conspiracy to blow up airliners flying from London to the United States.
Unidentified British officials in Islamabad also confirmed to the Telegraph that Pakistani demands for the separatists' extradition had "come up in the same conversations as Rauf." They also said that "innuendos and hints were dropped," but apparently insisted that there was no possibility of an exchange. Rauf faces charges including impersonation, carrying a fake identity card and fake documents, which he denies.
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