Interpol’s General Secretariat says PTI leader no longer “subject to an Interpol notice or diffusion”
DNA
LONDON/LYON: A month after giving a clean chit to senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Moonis Elahi in the corruption allegations case seeking his arrest and extradition to Pakistan, Interpol has dropped the terrorism case extradition request for Zulfi Bukhari by the Government of Pakistan — in a big setback to the interior ministry’s efforts to repatriate exiled and wanted PTI leaders.
The General Secretariat of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has confirmed that it has dropped its investigation into Bukhari and that he is no longer “subject to an Interpol notice or diffusion”.
Around two years ago, the interior ministry approached Interpol seeking red notices against Moonis and Bukhari. The case against Moonis was based on an alleged murder conspiracy from London to Gujarat and the alleged corruption cases during former prime minister Imran Khan’s government — that the PTI leader was behind the murder case in Gujarat after leaving Pakistan over three years ago, and made money through corrupt means when in power.
Against Bukhari, the interior ministry alleged in its Interpol complaint that he was involved in terrorism outside the Judicial Complex during PTI founder Khan’s appearances, as well as other incidents of terrorism. The interior ministry had also told Interpol that Bukhari should be handed over to Pakistan for his role in the Al-Qadir Trust case, since he was the central character in the case alongside Bushra Bibi and Khan.
