By IRNA,
Islamabad : Former Taliban Ambassador in Islamabad has served legal notice on Pakistan and sought one billion dollar compensation for handing him over by Pakistani authorities to Americans, his Pakistani lawyer said on Thursday.
Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef says he was handed over by Pakistani authorities to American army at Peshawar airport in January 2002 despite having diplomatic immunity and valid visa.
Zaeef had been kept for almost four years in Guantanamo detention and after release he is in Kabul under strict surveillance at his residence.
Hashmat Ali Habib, counsel for Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef, served the notices to the government of Pakistan through Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs and US Ambassador in Pakistan.
In the notice issued to the government of Pakistan, Hashmat said that his client’s stay in Pakistan was legal and as Ambassador of duly recognized State of Afghanistan, he is entitled for protocol as Ambassador.
Hashmat in the notice added that his client is entitled for all the privileges and immunity as per Geneva Convention, Vienna Convention and all enabling protocols and convention for the protection of Human and Fundamental Freedom adopted by the United Nations.
He said that after 9/11 episode planted by American Government, a so-called war against-terrorism was launched by Bush administration and the United Nations was also exploited and as a result US forces with the assistance of NATO forces invaded Afghanistan and Pakistan also became their front-line allies under the president-ship of Gen.
(R) Pervez Mushraf, which is still continuing.
“That on 2nd February 2002 our client was kidnapped by the officials acting under your instructions and he was disgraced by offering these words, “Your Excellency you are no more Excellency and forcibly taken to Peshawar”, said the notice.
Zaeef explained that he was kept for two days at Peshawar and thereafter at Peshawar military base he was handed over to the US Army without any legal authority or justification.
The counsel said in the notice that those officials who handed over his client to US authorities said that US is a super power and no one can compete with it and can not ignore their demand. “They need you ‘for questioning”, the officials told Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef.
“The officials told me that they wanted to shift me to Peshawar before I was taken out of the residence and that I will be with them and the Americans will only question me and I may return to residence after 10 days”, said Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef narrating his story in the notice.
Zaeef said that when he was being handed over to Americans some people suddenly attacked him and started kicking, slapping and blowing him with their fists.
“Ruthless, cruel and biased American soldiers dragged me naked to the helicopter, chained my hands and legs, covered my eyes and put a black shopper at my head and they tied me with chains in the middle of the helicopter”, said Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef in the notice.
In the notice served to the US Ambassador in Pakistan Hashmat asked that whether any agreement was executed between government of Pakistan and US Government for kidnapping/arrest of his client, after or prior to the US forces invaded Afghanistan?
“Whether Government of Pakistan is legally empowered to hand over an ambassador of recognized country to a third country who had attacked the country of such ambassador?” the notice asked.