The UK Gubment were trying to extradite Rashid Rauf,26 the alleged British terrorist mastermind behind a plot to simultaneously blow up at least 10 transatlantic airliners from Pakistan. He is also related by marriage to Jaish-e-Mohammad (an Islamist militant group )founder Maulana Masood Azhar.
Rauf was arrested in Bahawalpur in August 2006 on a tip-off from British investigators the day immediately prior to the mass arrests in the "great airline teror plot" which included his brother Tayib Rauf...who was later released (along with many others) without being charged.
Apparently he "slipped his handcuffs" and fled after appearing at a court in Islamabad, Pakistan,yesterday where he was fighting extradition because he was wanted in the UK for questioning in connection with the murder of his uncle in Birmingham in 2002. He was being guarded by 2 policemen. Rauf’s lawyer, Hashmat Habib, has sought to block the move, saying the two countries do not have an extradition treaty.(Which is correct)
Pakistani authorities dropped all terror charges against Rauf on December 13th but he was accused of possessing forged travel and identity documents and bomb-making materials.
“We are still trying to ascertain where he managed to escape,” Interior Secretary Kamal Shah said, adding it was unclear if Rauf slipped away at the court complex or en route to jail. Superintendent of Police Nasir Aftab said Rauf escaped at 2.30 pm “but the policemen reported the matter very late to us”. The two constables are being interrogated.
The British High Commission said it was in close touch with Pakistani authorities. Ambassador Robert Brinkely had spoken to Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz. Pakistan has assured Britain that the suspect’s capture was a “priority”.
Last week Faiz Baluch, 25, and Hyrbyair Marri, 39 — both of London — were arrested and jointly charged under UK Terrorism Act "with inciting another person to commit an act of terrorism "wholly or partly outside the UK".. Both claim they are peaceful activists calling for the independence of the Pakistani province of Baluchistan. Authorities deny there was any attempt to do a deal to swap these two with Rauf...who is also wanted by US authorities who want to torture him.
The Guradian reported that earlier this year lawyers from the Crown Prosecution Service flew to Islamabad to help the Pakistani authorities prepare extradition papers for up to eight Baluchi nationalists living in the UK.
Rauf was of course a contact of the UK security services MI5 / MI6 take your pick.
See Angirfaan for details of more "escaped" Muslim infiltrators/terrists/conspirators/ Fascist Jihadists - Jamal al-Badawi, Omar al-Faruq, Haroon Rashid Aswat
See Also The Curious Case of Rashid Rauf
...and the Baluch Blog