Rashid Rauf, a British national suspected to plan attacks onsome transatlantic flights, managed to escape from the policecustody in Islamabad on Saturday, according to local pressreports.
The News, an English daily, quoted Islamabad policeofficer Syed Kalim Imam as saying that the accused was brought tothe Islamabad district court from the Adiala Jail in nearbyRawalpindi at about 13:30 local time (0830 GMT). The accused, hesaid, escaped from the court premises, adding that he was informedby the concerned police about Rauf's escape at 18:00 (1300GMT).
Two police officers have been arrested on suspicion of helpingthe accused flee, the police officer said, adding that a departmentinquiry had been formed to investigate the case.
Rauf, who also has a Pakistani passport, was arrested byPakistani intelligence agents in August 2006 on a tip from theirBritish counterparts.
Rauf was arrested and charged in Pakistan with possessingchemicals that could be used in making explosives and with carryingforged travel documents.
The prosecution later withdrew the case against him and held himaccountable only for possessing bomb-making materials and living inPakistan without valid documents.
After that, a higher court, acting on an appeal by the Pakistaniauthorities, suspended the anti-terrorism court's ruling until Jan.15, according to the press reports.
A judge then extended his detention until Jan. 19.
Rauf has remained in jail awaiting a decision on a Britishextradition request. He arrived in Pakistan soon after his unclewas stabbed to death in 2002, and the British authorities haveasked Pakistan to extradite Rauf in connection with the murderinquiry.
His lawyer, Hashmat Habib, has sought to block the move, sayingthat the two countries did not have an extradition treaty and thatRauf had already been found innocent of involvement interrorism.
Habib said Saturday that his client had been brought to court inconnection with the extradition proceedings, but he did not knowhow Rauf had escaped.
(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2007)