Government formally requests Malaysia to extradite Zakir Naik

Stating that fairness of the Indian justice system had never been in question, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday said the government had made a formal request for preacher Zakir Naik’s extradition and would continue to pursue the matter with Malaysia.

The MEA statement came after Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Monday said the country reserved the right to disallow Mr. Naik’s extradition to India if he was not going to be accorded justice.

In response to queries about Mr. Naik’s extradition, the MEA official spokesperson said: “India has extradition arrangements with many nations. In the past, there are numerous cases of successful extradition to India. The fairness of the Indian justice system has never been in question. The Government of India has made a formal request for the extradition of Zakir Naik. We would continue to pursue the matter with Malaysia.”