Pakistan has said that it will approach Interpol to seek Baloch leader Brahamdagh Bugti’s extradition to the country, PTI reported on Saturday. Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan said the country’s Federal Investigation Agency will “send a formal reference” to the international agency on the matter. The Indian Home Ministry is currently examining the Baloch leaders asylum application.
Khan said India’s attitude towards Bugti and “their invitation to him” showed who was behind the alleged militancy in the Balochistan region, according to The Express Tribune. The minister also accused New Delhi of blaming Pakistan for the militant attack on an Indian Army base in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, without any evidence. “They have blamed us just to defame Pakistan.”
Khan’s remarks come just five days after Bugti approached the Indian embassy in Geneva with a formal application for asylum. The row over the Baloch leader began after Pakistan dedicated its Independence Day to the “freedom of Kashmir”, following which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up alleged human rights abuses in the disputed Balochistan region during his own Independence Day remarks.
Most recently, both countries exchanged barbs over the situation in Kashmir and the Baloch region at the United Nations Human Rights Council. Relations between the two countries have worsened after an attack by militants on an Indian Army base on September 18 in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!