India, Australia to speed up talks on Extradition

New Delhi, July 20 (UNI) India and Australia will accelerate negotiations on Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance treaties in the light of Mohammed Haneef incident, official sources said here today.

The sources also said Australian authories had ''messed up'' the Haneef case following reports that his SIM card was not in the jeep at the Glasgow airport but was found by police eight hours later in Liverpool.

The subject of Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties between the two countries came up yesterday during the telephonic conversation between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Australian counterpart Alexander Downer.

The two Ministers discussed the developments relating to the Haneef case and Mr Mukherjee conveyed to Mr. Downer India's concern that Dr. Haneef be treated fairly and justly under Australian law.

They had also agreed that both countries should conclude a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

An official of the Australian High Commission here said the sooner the treaties were concluded, it would be easier for the two countries to combat terrorism.

The official also said the Australian government had issued a tourist visa to Imran Siddiqui, a cousin of Mohammed Haneef, to go to Australia to provide support to Haneef.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said here on July 16 that Dr Haneef had been charged with ''intentionally providing SIM card to a terrorist organisation...'' An Australian Magistrate had granted bail to Dr Haneef in the case against him but the Australian Minister for Immigration had announced the revocation of the visa.

The External Affairs Ministry had urged the Australian Government that Haneef be treated fairly and justly under Australian law.

UNI