 A local court on Thursday sent ten foreigners, including women and children, on judicial remand to Peshawar central prison under the Foreigners Act.
| I'm not too sure about the efficacy of jugging women and especially kiddies. |
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had earlier claimed that it arrested ten Egyptian and Tajikistan nationals on April 18 from Charsadda district for having links with Al Qaeda. Egyptian national Farooq, his wife, three sons and three daughters, and two Tajiks, Hussain, 12 and Khalid, 11, were earlier arrested on suspicion of links to Al Qaeda but were later charged under the Foreigners Act.
| I can see tossing Farooq into the calaboose, but unless they're major juvenile delinquents — a possibility, given the culture, I suppose — the brats don't belong there. |
Fida Gul, the defence counsel and the Peshawar District Bar president, told the court that Hussain and Khalid were picked up from Waziristan three years ago where they were enrolled at a madrassa.
| If they're 11 and 12 now, that would make them 8 and 9 then. What were they picked up for? Truancy? |
Talking to reporters, Farooq said he came to Pakistan 19 years ago along with his wife and that he was a businessman.
| I can't think of anyplace more inviting to start a business than Peshawar, either... |
He said that intelligence agencies arrested him along with his family one year ago. He said that he was charged under the Foreigners Act after the agencies failed to prove his involvement in any terrorist act or having links with Al Qaeda. |