The Rashid Rauf enigma

Pakistan government announced the arrest of a British man of Pakistani origin Rashid Rauf two years ago accusing him of one of the key plotters into the mid-air bombings of trans-Atlantic flights from Britain to the United States. Pakistan also accused Rauf of having links with terror network Al-Qaeda operating in Afghanistan. But soon it appeared that the British government was no more interested in Rauf for the airline plot, but for a murder case in which Rauf was to be questioned, though he was not an accused in it.

Even Pakistani anti-terrorism court did not find any terror charge against Rauf sustainable and shifted his case to an ordinary criminal court in Rawalpindi for the forgery in his travel documents. But security officials kept on building the hype about Rauf as a terrorist and releasing him could show that they had made a big blunder by arresting a wrong person for such a high profile case that drew world attention.

Then one fine day we heard that Rauf escaped while he was being escorted by police from a court in Islamabad to Udiyala prison in Rawalpindi. Reportedly he asked the cops that he wanted to eat KFC burger and then he disappeared from a mosque in December 2007. Since then there is no trace of him.

A top security official said that "most probably" Rauf has escaped to Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. "Who knows he has joined Baitullah Mehsud," the official said referring to Taliban warlord based in South Waziristan who is accused of plotting the December 27 assassination for former premier Benazir Bhutto. Mehsud denies the charge.

But others believe that Rauf might have escaped to Kashmir, where banned Pakistani militant outfit Jaishe Muhammad is fighting Indian rule. Rauf is married to a sister of Jaishe Muhammad leader Maulana Azhar Masood.

Pakistan takes credit of arresting hundreds of Al-Qaeda suspects and handing them over to the United States. It did catch a couple of big fish like Khalid Shaikh Mohammad and other Qaeda operatives, but many Pakistani suspects for example the alleged Qaeda computer Noor Khan was freed after three years as no evidence or proof could be brought against him. The plight of Pakistani Qaeda suspects was highlighted when the deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry started grilling intelligence agencies to produce some 300 "missing persons" in the courts.

Rashid Rauf killed???

On November 22 un-named security officials in Pakistan said that Rauf had been killed in a US missile attack on Ali Khel village of North Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan, which US and Pakistani officials believe is the known stronghold of Al-Qaeda network. Again his killing is shroded in mystery as no one saw Rauf's body and his lawyer and family was quoted in media as saying that he was alive.

One January 5, 2009,  Richard Boucher, the US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, told reporters at US embassy that he was not aware about Rauf. "I do not know," when he was asked if could confirm that Rauf had been killed in a US missile attack.

So far the death of Rashid Rauf has not been confirmed by Pakistan government or any named official. The media report about his killing did not quote the un-named sources as saying how they were sure that Rauf was there and died in the attack.

Transcripts from Pakistan Foreign ministry briefings.

The uncovering and foiling of the terrorist plot in London has been the result of active cooperation among the intelligence agencies of Pakistan , United Kingdom and the United States . The Cooperation in this case was spread over a period of time. Acting on the information earlier received from the United Kingdom , arrests were made in Pakistan which triggered arrests on the nights between 9 th and 10 th August 2006 in the United Kingdom . A key person arrested is British national Rashid Rauf. There are indications of Afghanistan based Al-Qaeda connection. The case has wider international dimensions. These coordinated arrests underscore the very important role that has been played by Pakistan in breaking this international terrorist network. The intelligence cooperation and coordination at the international level to get to the bottom this case are continuing. These efforts are in keeping with Pakistan 's strong commitment to fight international terrorism.

Islamabad

11 August 2006

Some additional information about him. Rashid Rauf was arrested in Rawalpindi. This should put at rest all the speculations about the place his arrest. Presently, he is under detention. We are investigating his involvement in terrorist activities in three areas: One, his links with Al Qaeda; two: threat projected in the United Kingdom and three: threat projected in Pakistan.

August 28, 2006

Responding to a question about Rashid Rauf's case, particularly with reference to the details released by the British High Commission that Rashid Rauf's extradition had been sought not in connection with the London plot but an earlier murder charge and that in the absence of extradition treaty how would Pakistan hand over Rashid Rauf, the spokesperson said:

I do not know what details the British High Commission gave out. I can confirm that an extradition request has been received. I would not discuss the grounds on which the extradition has been sought. If the British High Commission wants to release the details and nature of extradition request, that is up to them. At the moment I can just confirm it to you that we have received the extradition request, and it is being processed by our Ministry of Interior. We have to complete the procedure before we can respond to that request.

September 4, 2006