LONDON: Interpol has withdrawn Pakistan’s request for the extradition of senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Zulfi Bukhari, delivering a significant setback to the Interior Ministry’s efforts to repatriate exiled party figures facing criminal cases.
The General Secretariat of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) confirmed that it has closed its investigation into Bukhari and removed all information related to him from its systems. As a result, Bukhari is no longer subject to any Interpol notice or diffusion, effectively ending international pursuit on Pakistan’s request.
Pakistan’s Interior Ministry had approached Interpol in mid-2023 seeking a red notice against Bukhari over allegations of terrorism and other serious offences. Authorities accused him of involvement in violent incidents outside the Islamabad Judicial Complex during court appearances of PTI founder Imran Khan and claimed he played a central role in the Al-Qadir Trust case alongside Khan and Bushra Bibi.
In formal communication to Bukhari’s legal team, Interpol stated that after conducting the required checks under its mandate, it decided to delete the information provided by Pakistan. The letter confirmed that Bukhari is currently not wanted under any Interpol mechanism.
This follows last month’s decision by Interpol to formally clear PTI leader Moonis Elahi, giving him a clean chit in connection with corruption allegations and ending international pursuit based on Pakistan’s earlier request. Interpol sources indicated that insufficient evidence was found against Moonis to support the claims made by Pakistani authorities.
The extradition requests for both Bukhari and Moonis had been part of the Interior Ministry’s efforts under Mohsin Naqvi to repatriate PTI leaders facing allegations of corruption, terrorism, and involvement in high-profile cases. Lawyers for both leaders successfully argued that the cases were politically motivated and lacked credible evidence.
The Interpol decisions provide relief for Bukhari and Moonis but are viewed as a significant obstacle to the Interior Ministry’s ongoing campaign to bring exiled PTI leaders to Pakistan for trial. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry declined to comment on the Interpol rulings.
