Gunawan
was arrested in Karachi by Pakistani intelligence agencies for his
possible links with the Jamiah Islamiyah, the group allegedly associated
with Al Qaeda.
Many
different versions are available on the dates and modus operandi of his
arrest.
While
the government and law enforcement agencies remain tight lipped about
the details of the operation leading to his capture, the administration
of the seminary in Karachi where he was a student of Islamic teachings,
has blamed the secret government agents for what they called illegal
arrest of their student.
Admission
record and passport copy of the Indonesian national show that he came to
Pakistan in December 1999 and never went out of the country ever since.
He
was admitted to the Abu Bakar Islamic University the next year after
completion of legal formalities, including submission of no objection
certificates from the Indonesian consulate and the Interior Ministry of
Pakistan.
Umer
Farooq Saeedi, head of the department of education at Abu Bakr Islamic
University told IslamOnline.net that the secret service officers who
came for the arrest did not produce any search or arrest warrants. Hence
the detention was illegal.
According
to the sources, the operation to arrest Gunawan was carried out by
Pakistan’s elite secret service. A nearby police station which should
have prior information of any arrests within its jurisdiction claimed to
be unaware of any such happening.
"As
far as I am concerned no arrests have been made from the school, "
sub inspector Muhammad Hayat said.
Gunawan
was a fourth year student at the seminary with 250 local and 150 foreign
students from as many as 18 different nationalities.
The
seminary which is recognized by the education department of the
government and fulfils other legal requirements laid down under the new
stricter rules governing these religious schools.
While
Gunawan was taken away by the members of secret service on the night of
September 20, according to the hostel warden, he was not allowed to take
his personal belongings .
His
clothes, books and other belonging are still lying in his room.
Since
his arrest, at least 23 other foreign students including 13 Malaysians
and 10 Indonesians have been arrested up by the Pakistan intelligence
agencies, Umer farooq Saeedi said.
According
to a senior Interior Ministry officer they are also suspected of having
links with militant organizations.
Since
The midnight operation that resulted in the arrest of many students,
foreign students studying in thousands of religious school spread
allover the country are scared.
Like
any other, this anti terror operation to arrest suspected brother of
Hambli was kept a closely guarded secret till its execution.
Though
the arrests were made in Karachi, all the planning was done here in
Islamabad, the home to both the interior ministry and the country’s
elite security agencies.
Teams
were dispatched from here to Karachi and even the local authorities
there were kept in the dark on the targets of such a high profile
operation.
