HC Deb 21 January 1924 vol 169 cc476-7
2. Lieut. - Colonel HOWARD - BURY

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he has received any definite information as to the reported capture of the band that murdered Majors Orr and Anderson and Major Finnis; and whether he will urge on the Afghan Government the necessity of cooperating in the future with a view to the prevention of these dastardly murders by either guaranteeing the punishment of the murderers or their expulsion from Afghan territory?

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Ronald McNeill)

Two out of the six tribesmen supposed to have been implicated in the murder of Major Finnis have been captured, on the British side of the frontier. I regret that up to the present we have not heard that the other four, or the two Afghan subjects concerned in the murder of Majors Orr and Anderson, have been captured. The whole question remains under discussion with the Afghan Government. I need not, say that so far as His Majesty's Government are concerned, every effort has been and will continue to be made to bring the murderers to justice, and to provide against the occurrence of similar outrages in future.

Lieut. - Colonel HOWARD - BURY

Would it not be possible to arrange for some form of Extradition Treaty with the Afghan Government, by which the murderers of British subjects in British territory that fly for refuge to Arghanistan could be extradited? And is it not the case that the only punishment which the Afghan Government chooses to give them at present is to deport them to Persia or Turkestan, which is really no punishment at all?

Mr. McNEILL

I think all those considerations are being taken into account between the two Governments.