ISLAMABAD, June 21 (INP): Former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has lodged a strong protest with British Home Office over its reported discussion with the government of Pakistan on issue of his extradition.

He told Voice of America that he visited the Home Office on June 18 and lodged the protest on the ground that the extradition is a case of his severe political victimization.

He said there was a media’s report that the British Home Office and the government of Pakistan were going to sign a MoU on the issue of extradition. A media’s hype was created that he might be got arrested under that MoU.

On the basis of the reported move of signing the MoU, a media trial was initiated and he was maligned on the issues which were totally baseless. There was a well planned intrigue against him by the PTI's government to malign him on the ground of tax defaulter.

He explained that the reported MoU was the part of earlier move, through which his passport was cancelled and he was made ‘Stateless’, a refugee. He had brought this uncalled for step to notice of the Home Office.

Ishaq Haq said he was blamed that he had not submitted tax returns. That was the contrary to the fact, as he had been regularly filing the returns to the relevant Department. And record of 20 years to this effect was made available to the CRB.

Declaring him as an absconder by the court was against the norms of justice and fair play, he contended.

About his extradition, he argued that this demands a fair judicial process and it could not be done under a MoU.

During the interview, Ishaq Dar also questioned the legality and justification of setting up a Commission on loans, obtained during the last ten years. This is a malicious move on the part PTI’s government. The government is also telling lie on total amount of loans, he added.

While replying to various questions, he criticized the fiscal and economic policies of the present government, stating that these are adding miseries of the common man.

The government, he said has completely failed to deliver and take care of some basic economic issues, being confronted by the country and poor segment of the society.

INP/JAVED