 The Pakistani government on Wednesday confirmed that alleged terror suspect Khalid Rashid was currently in its custody. The statement comes on the same day that Pretoria again denied involvement in "heinous renditions" or that it had violated Rashid's rights. Rashid was arrested by South African authorities on 31 October last year and handed over to Pakistani officials on November 6. His whereabouts remain a mystery. | Hopefully a dark, windowless cell where he visited by large mustachioed men bearing truncheons. |
"Presently he is in the custody of the government of Pakistan," Javed Jalil Kattak, first secretary at the Pakistan High Commission in Pretoria, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The cabinet on Wednesday again rejected allegations from Rashid's legal representative, Zahir Omar, that Pretoria was "ever involved in such heinous acts as renditions". "Our government would never do those kind of things," cabinet spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe said. "If indeed Mr Omar is genuinely interested in assisting Mr Rashid's family to establish his whereabouts, government believes he should do so in Pakistan and not in our country. "We do not quite understand why he is not using the legal processes in that country to establish these facts." | "Go away, you're bothering me!" |
While there was not enough information for a formal extradition, Rashid was deported because he was an illegal immigrant, Netshitenzhe said. He denied that Rashid's status as an illegal immigrant had made it possible for South Africa to deal with a terror suspect in a "convenient" way. The South African government on Wednesday also said it believed a complaint by Omar to the International Criminal Court in The Hague would not fly. "I suppose the first hurdle that anyone would need to deal with in this regard is whether such a complaint would have any standing in the court. We believe that it wouldn't." | "It's not like we handed him over to the Americans" |
Netshitenzhe repeated that it was the responsibility of the South African government to ensure the country was not used as a hideout "for any individual who might be connected with international terrorism organisations" or that it became a target for "these kind of activities". Netshitenzhe was not able to provide any details about Rashid's alleged links to terror organisations and referred reporters to the South African police. | Khalid Rashid was wanted by British authorities for alleged involvement in terrorist activities. Rashid has not been seen since his arrest on October 31, 2005. |
Omar said on Wednesday night the government had besmirched the country's name by agreeing to a British request to forcibly remove Rashid. He said he would file an affidavit in the International Court on Thursday. Netshitenzhe insisted that South Africa had followed the correct procedures and that, unlike those arrested with him, Rashid had not taken the opportunity to appeal against his deportation. |