ISLAMABAD - As the chances of deportation of Tauqeer Sadiq, former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and an accused of misappropriation of Rs 82 billion, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are rare, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) would have to adopt a lengthy procedure for his extradition that can take more than a year, TheNation has learnt.

And if NAB is to be believed that the bureau was making serious efforts to get deported fugitive Tauqeer Sadiq from Abu Dhabi, then accused could not be given into the custody of NAB nor arrested by Pakistani authorities in UAE. A senior official of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) dealing with the immigration affairs on the condition of anonymity said that deportation procedure was only adopted if the accused had travelled through fake documents. “But the problem with the deportation is that the person could not be arrested until he would land in the country for which he was deported,” he added.
“We have been asking the NAB authorities to go for extradition process instead of adopting the deportation procedure in the case of Tauqeer Sadiq,” another official of FIA aware of the development said adding that NAB had been insisting that the procedure for his deportation should be used. The official said now they had been conveyed from UAE authorities to go for the extradition process in the case.
While on the other hand, the immigration officials said a lengthy procedure would have to be followed for the extradition of Tauqeer Sadiq in case no extradition treaty exist between UAE and Pakistan. He was not sure whether extradition treat exist between both the countries or not. However, he said, in the presence of extradition treaty, the procedure of the extradition of any person was very simple as the signatory country was bound to extradite the person on the simple request of the other country. “And in the absence of the treaty, Interpol is requested to extradite the person,” he said adding that the country concerned must be a member of the Interpol.
The official said that Interpol did not issue red warrants for the arrest of the accused until it was satisfied that he was wanted by the court of law in any case and the court had declared him a proclaimed offender. The procedure is long, as the prosecution agency would have to issue advertisement in the newspapers for the search of fugitive Mr Sadiq and get issued some notices from the trial court, he informed. Then the court would declare him a proclaimed offender.
NAB spokesman Zafar Iqbal Khan had informed The Nation, the other day that the bureau was of the opinion that deportation of fugitive Sadiq would be a suitable option in this case as the accused has lost his legal right to stay in UAE and his passport had been cancelled by government of Pakistan.
“NAB is in the process of providing required documents to law enforcement agencies in UAE as well as to the Interpol,” he had also said.
Supreme Court is hearing cases of misappropriation and embezzlement against Tauqeer Sadiq that was allegedly committed when he was chairman OGRA. NAB on January 29 had claimed that Interpol had arrested the accused in Abu Dhabi on the orders of a court.