Date : 19/04/2002
DEAL FOR REPATRIATION OF ARABS IN THE OFFING
ISLAMABAD, APRIL 19 (KUNA) -- A TOP INTERIOR MINISTRY OFFICIAL IS BROKERING
A LUCRATIVE DEAL WITH A LIBYAN CHARITY FOR REPATRIATION OF SIX FAMILIES OF THE
ALLEGED "AL-QAIDA" ACTIVISTS, AN OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN SAID HERE ON FRIDAY.
THE SPOKESMAN SAYS GADDAFI INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR CHARITY ASSOCIATION
(GIFCA) HAS URGED THE INTERIOR MINISTRY IN THIS REGARD AND A TOP GOVERNMENT
OFFICIAL HAS BEEN ASSIGNED THE TASK TO BROKER THE DEAL.
THE FOUR FAMILIES WHO COULD BE REPATRIATED TO LIBYA, IF THE DEAL IS STRUCK,
INCLUDE KHADIJA MOHAMMAD ABU SAADI, HER HER SIX CHILDREN, NASREEN HAMMAD AL
AJMI, HER FOUR CHILDREN, MARIUM WOLD HAJI AZIZ, WITH HER ONE KID, RAHIMA WOLD
HAJI AZIZ, WITH HER ONE GIRLCHILD, AYESHA ABDULLAH WOLD HAJI AZIZ, WITH HER
ONE GIRLCHILD AND FATIMA WITH HER THREE KIDS).
ARABIC SPEAKING REAL SISTERS KHADIJA AND AYESHA RESIDING IN TOWNSHIP AREA
OF LAHORE ARE IRAQI NATIONALS AND ARE MARRIED TO A LEBANESE AND A PALESTINIAN
NATIONL RESPECTIVELY.
THEY ARE DAUGHTERS OF NASREEN WHOSE HUSBAND HAILED FROM TUNIS. THE HUSBAND
OF NASREEN, HER SON ABDULLAH AND HER SON-IN-LAW (AYESHAS HUSBAND) HAD GONE TO
AFGHANISTAN AND THEY ALSO MET WITH OSAMA BIN LADEN.
MARIUM AND FATIMA ARE AFGHAN NATIONALS FROM JALALABAD AND ARE DETAINED IN
A HOUSE IN TOWNSHIP. LAHORE. THEY SPEAK PERSIAN.
MAULANA ASHRAFI HAD VISITED THESE FAMILIES AND GAVE THEM FOOD AND SOME
AMOUNT, SOURCES SAY ADDING THAT CURRENTLY THESE HOUSES ARE BEING GUARDED BY
THE "ELITE FORCE COMMANDOES" AND NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO MEET THESE FAMILIES.
(MORE)
-- THE SPOKESMAN SAY THAT A TOP OFFICIAL HAS BEEN APPROACHED BY
THE HEAD OF THE GIFCA NAMELY SALIM SAEED WHO ASSURED HIM OF TAKING CARE AND
RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL THE FOUR FAMILIES IF THEY ARE REPATRIATED AND HANDED
OVER TO THIS CHARITY.
IT IS WORTHMENTIONING THAT LAST MONTH THE LOCAL POLICE, UNDER THE
SUPERVISION AND INTELLIGENCE OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI),
LAUNCHED A MASSIVE AND LIGHTNING CRACKDOWN ON AL-QAIDA SUSPECTS IN FAISALABAD
AND SOME OTHER CITIES AND ARRESTED MORE THAN 50 ARABS, AFGHANS AND SOME
PAKISTANIS WHO HAD FOUGHT AGAINST US-LED COALITION FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN.
LATER THE POLICE ALSO RAIDED THE OUTSKIRTS OF LAHORE AND ARRESTED MORE THAN
16 AL-QAIDA SUSPECTS FROM TOWNSHIP AND GREEN TOWN. SINCE THEN THE POLICE HAVE
DETAINED THE FOUR ARAB AND AFGHAN FAMILIES WHOSE MALE MEMBERS ARE STILL IN THE
POLICE CUSTODY.
FEW OF THESE ARRESTED AL-QAEDA ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN RELEASED WHILE MOST OF
THEM, CURRENTLY DETAINED, ARE TO BE INTERROGATED BY THE FBI AND PAKISTANS
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES.
"THE JOINT INTERROGATION TEAM (JIT) OF PAKISTAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WOULD
ALSO INTERROGATE THEM," THE SPOKESMAN MAINTAINED. (END)
MYK.RK
KUNA 191741 Apr 02NNNN