Pakistan court stops extradition of US citizen accused of terror plot

Islamabad: A Pakistani court has temporarily barred the extradition of a US citizen of Pakistani origin who is accused of planning a terrorist attack in New York, a lawyer said Wednesday.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court suspended the extradition order against Talha Haroon, 19, who is currently jailed in Rawalpindi pending his repatriation.

Lawyer Tariq Asad, who petitioned the Islamabad High Court against the order, said he had won a stay.

Siddiqui also summoned officials from the interior ministry for the next court hearing on April 11, according to an order seen by AFP.

"The allegation was that he was planning an armed operation against a public place in New York with IS," Asad said, referring to the Islamic State group.

He said Haroon had returned from the US to Pakistan more than a year ago.

In his application to the court, Haroon`s father Haroon Rashid had written: "The story against the petitioner`s son is entirely concocted and false. He is a young teenaged student and in case of extradition he may lose his life and career."

He added his son was a victim of "biased and prejudiced policy against the Muslims" by US President Donald Trump.

Pakistan has a bilateral extradition treaty with the US that was signed before the South Asian country gained independence from Britain in 1947.

It has previously surrendered high-profile fugitives including Mir Qazi, convicted of the 1993 shootings at the CIA headquarters in Langley, and Ramzi Yousef, convicted for his part in the World Trade Center truck bombing the same year.