Pakistan court orders not to deport 5 US citizens

Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 7:44 pm

Lahore, Pakistan News : A top Pakistani court on Thursday asked the government not to deport five American citizens being held in Pakistan on suspicion of links with militants, according to officials.

Pakistan court orders not to deport 5 US citizens The five men did not appear in court on Thursday.

Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, issued the order in the eastern city of Lahore while hearing a petition from Khalid Khawaja, a civil rights activist, who has often filed court cases on behalf of alleged militants and people believed to have disappeared at the hands of Pakistan’s security apparatus.

“Without seeking prior permission to the High Court, the Ministry of Interior or other authorities could not extradite these accused to any other country,” Najam Sarfraz, a lawyer connected to the case said.

The men, aged 19 to 25, were reported missing from the Washington, DC area after their families found a farewell video showing scenes of war and casualties and saying Muslims must be defended.

They were arrested in the central Pakistani town of Sargodha earlier this month.

Pakistani police in Sargodha identified the men as Waqir Hussain Khan, Ramys Zamzam, Umar Farooq, Ahmad Abdulminni and Aman Hassan Yamer.

On Tuesday, the court granted police another 10 days to question the five Americans, a government official said.

Authorities also said they had released the father of one of the five men who was arrested along with the group last week.

Police could find no evidence that father, Khalid Farooq, also a US citizen, had committed any crime, regional law minister said.

Police have alleged the Americans intended to join militants in the northwestern tribal areas and then travel to Afghanistan to fight against US and allied forces.

The case has fanned fears that Americans and other Westerners are heading to Pakistan to link up with al-Qaida and other militant groups.

Sargodha is located 125 miles (200 kilometres) south of the capital, Islamabad, on the main road to the Afghan border region.

The city is home to a major Pakistani air force base and is known as a hotbed of militant activity.

Authorities say the men initially tried to contact jihadist groups in Pakistan via YouTube and other Web sites, then travelled to Pakistan to attempt personal meetings.

US officials say FBI agents and US Embassy security personnel have met with the men, but it was not clear whether they would be charged and tried in Pakistan or deported.

Pakistan is home to scores of militant groups and is a seen by some, including the United States, as a global hub for al-Qaida.

Last week, Pakistani authorities released photographs of the five Muslim Americans, taken after their arrest in Sargodha.

The men are still in custody.