Pak scripts a plot to scuttle Indo-Nepal extradition pact

Anticipating that an imminent Indo-Nepal extradition treaty will have negative consequences on its nationals alleged to be involved in anti-India activities in Nepal....

Anticipating that an imminent Indo-Nepal extradition treaty will have negative consequences on its nationals alleged to be involved in anti-India activities in Nepal,Pakistan has surprised India by proposing its own extradition treaty to Nepal which bars Kathmandu from extraditing Pakistani nationals.

In what is being termed as a clever move to defeat the central purpose of India trying so hard to have an extradition treaty with Nepal,Islamabad is learnt to have even handed over a draft agreement which includes an exclusion clause.

According this clause,sources said,neither side would allow extradition of each others nationals to a third party regardless of whether there exists a similar treaty with another country. In other words,this provision provides immunity to nationals of both countries from other extradition treaties that either side may have entered into with other countries.

One of the main reasons for India pushing for such a treaty with Nepal has been the growing activities of Pak-based terror groups and the ISI in Nepal. Indian security agencies have always pointed to Pak-based terror groups using Nepal as a transit point to launch attacks on India. This only acquired more currency after the IC-814 hijack.

Even as Home Secretary G K Pillai was in Kathmandu over the weekend to discuss the agreement,sources said,Nepal had quietly conveyed its predicament as it was faced with a difficult situation to choose between India and Pakistan at a time when its domestic political situation was fragile. More so,it was indicated that Pakistani efforts have tacit Chinese backing which further complicates matters.

As a result,the Indo-Nepal extradition treaty which is part of a larger framework called the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty is now on the backburner,also because political consensus in Nepal is difficult on this sensitive issue given the various actors involved. However,it is understood that Kathmandu has assured India full cooperation on not letting its soil being used for anti-India activities.

India,on its part,is also worried about Pakistan flooding Nepal with fake Indian currency notes. Intelligence agencies here are convinced that these currency notes are being printed in Pakistan. Either way,India is looking for real time cooperation from Nepal on this issue.

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Despite its positive intentions towards India,Nepal is beginning to feel increased pressure from powerful neighbours. India,for instance,wants increased deployment of Nepals armed police guards along the Indo-Nepal border. For this,India is willing to enhance contacts and cooperation between the Sashastra Seema Bal SSB and Nepals police forces.

However,recently China has upped the pressure on Nepal to spare more battalions of its armed police for the northern borders to prevent Tibetans from the area as a staging ground. In fact,Kathmandu did move a handful of battalions to the Nepal-China border because of sustained pressure. But to increase deployment would mean diverting troops from elsewhere,added sources.

Regardless of all pulls and pressures,Nepals police and armed forces continue to have healthy cooperation with their Indian counterparts at a functional level. As long as Nepalese politicians do not reverse this,the sources said,New Delhi could always expect relatively better cooperation on the ground compared to other countries.