Briatin asks Pak govt to extradite Rashid Rauf

London, Aug 16 (UNI) The British High Commission in Pakistan has asked the government to extradite Rashid Rauf, suspected of masterminding the alleged terror plan to blow up US bound transatlantic flights in midair.

According to a report in ''The Times'', officials at the British High Commission in Islamabad have already taken the first steps to secure the return of Rauf, 25, who hails from Birmingham.

Britain has no formal extradition treaty with Pakistan but there are international agreements and ad hoc arrangements under which Rauf could be arrested.

Officilas from the Scotland Yard have flown to Islamabad to work out further legalities.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said, ''There is no current bilateral extradition treaty with Pakistan. However, there are a number of international conventions, such as the Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings that set up formal extradition arrangements for certain types of criminal conduct.'' In Pakistan, the authorities have indicated that they will consider request to extradite Rauf. He left for Pakistan in April 2002 after he was allegedly charged with murdering his uncle here.

Rauf's brother Tayib, 21, is among 20 other people arrested in anti-terrorist raids last week in London, Birmingham and High Wycombe.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said, ''We do not have any extradition treaty at the moment but yes, because he is a British national, the possibility of his extradition remains.'' UNI XC AK HS1608