Kriss murder suspects face UK trial

THREE suspects in the horrific abduction and murder of Scots teenager Kriss Donald have been arrested abroad and could be returned to face justice within weeks.

Following months of diplomatic wrangling, an unprecedented deal has been reached between officials in the UK and Pakistan to return the trio to Scotland for trial.

A fourth man has already been convicted of murdering Kriss, 15, who was abducted in Glasgow and taken on a lengthy car journey around Scotland before being stabbed and set alight.

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But because of the lack of an extradition treaty with Pakistan it was widely feared the case had ground to a standstill.

Warrants for the arrest of the three men - Imran Shahid, Ziham Shahid and Mohammed Mustaq - were issued in 2004 by Strathclyde Police.

It is understood Shahid was arrested in Lahore early last week. Mustaq and Ziham were later taken into custody near Faisalabad.

Despite the lack of an extradition treaty, it is understood the UK and Pakistan have thrashed out a "no-strings" one-off arrangement to return the men. It remains unclear how long this could take but sources say it could be a matter of weeks.

The arrests come just six months after senior detectives flew to Pakistan in an effort to trace the suspects. Pressure on the Pakistan authorities has also been applied through political and diplomatic channels. Following months of lobbying by the murdered boy's MP, Mohammed Sarwar, Foreign Office Minister Douglas Alexander jetted out to the country in January to discuss the case with Pakistani officials.

That was followed by a visit last month by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who discussed the case with Pakistan's foreign minister Shaukat Aziz.

Sarwar last night said he was confident the three suspects would now face trial in Scotland. The Glasgow Central MP said: "This was a particularly brutal and vicious case for all concerned not least Kriss Donald's family. We have done everything to bring these three suspects back to Scotland. We have left no stone unturned in that process.

"There has been a tremendous amount of work by the police, Crown Office and British Government is getting this far."

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Kriss was abducted at random in Pollokshields, Glasgow, on March 15 last year, driven 200 miles around Scotland, stabbed 13 times and burned alive. He was the innocent victim of a revenge attack. His friend Jamie Wallace, who managed to escape, said that as the car sped off he heard Kriss's bewildered cries: "Why me? I'm only 15."

Yesterday, police sources closely involved in the case said they were now waiting to interview the suspects.

One source said: "We have waited long enough. I think it will be a matter of weeks rather than months."

Last December, Glasgow shopkeeper Daanish Zahid, 20, was jailed for at least 17 years for murdering Kriss. Zahid Mohammed, 20, was cleared of murder but sentenced to five years for abducting the teenager.

Kriss's mother Angela, 40, last night could not be contacted for comment but has previously said she and her family would "not be able to move on until all of those responsible are brought to justice". Relatives of the murdered teenager are also said to have been shocked by the slow progress in the case.

Kriss's death led to racial tension in some parts of the city and Kriss's friend was put into the witness protection scheme.

Six weeks after the murder, hundreds of people, including senior Islamic representatives, lined the streets at the schoolboy's funeral as Kriss's coffin passed by.

The detective leading the murder inquiry has also described the lack of progress as frustrating. Superintendent Elliot McKenzie said last year: "I've told Kriss's mother that I won't retire until we've brought these suspects back to Scotland, and I mean it.

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"This was an innocent 15-year-old schoolboy who was plucked from a busy street in broad daylight before being tortured, stabbed and set alight while he was still alive."

Crown Office officials said it was too early to predict the next stage of extradition.

A spokeswoman said: "We are aware there have been developments in this case and remain in close contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth office and the country concerned."

The talks have coincided with Pakistani moves to forge new alliances with the west, led by President Pervez Musharraf, who has publicly backed the United States' and Britain's campaign against terrorism in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

Whitehall sources had previously indicated that the timing of any approach a special extradition request was felt to be potentially disruptive in terms of long-term negotiations.

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