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Pakistan Investigates Arab and African Citizens
By Aamir Latif, IOL correspondent in South Asia
QUETTA, Pakistan, Oct 4 (IslamOnline) - Pakistan has initiated investigations against Arab and African nationals working for different non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country on suspicions that they may be associated with Osama bin Laden - the U.S.'s prime suspect in the September 11th attacks - and his al-Qaeda network.
"As a precautionary measure, the government has launched an investigation campaign against some 50 Arab and African nationals working in Pakistan for different NGOs who may react negatively following any U.S. attack on Afghanistan," Abdul Rasheed Khan, Assistant Federal Secretary for Interior Affairs said Thursday.
"Although, we do not have any cogent evidence that the Arab and African nationals residing in Pakistan have any links with Osama bin Laden or al-Qaeda. However, investigations will continue to avert any untoward incident before it happens," Rasheed added.
"The NGOs under investigation also include those working in Afghanistan," he maintained.
"They may create a law and order situation in Pakistan in case of any U.S. attack on Afghanistan," the secretary said.
Law enforcement agencies also arrested six people in the southern port city of Karachi on suspicion of having links with bin Laden. However, police authorities have not released their names or any details.
"We do have some people in custody on suspicion of having links with Osama, but we cannot tell you the names and other details in this regard because it may hurt investigations," a senior police official told an IOL correspondent.
Rasheed said that "these people", referring to Arab and African nationals, would be deported and handed over to their respective countries, if the government received any "cogent" information from the secret agencies that they might trigger terrorism in Pakistan following a U.S. attack.
Asked whether the current exercise is being done on U.S. demands, Rasheed dispelled the impression saying, "The whole exercise is aimed at ensuring full security to the people of Pakistan."
"American authorities have not made such demand. The government itself has decided to conduct this exercise keeping in view the critical situation in the region," he stated.
Meanwhile, an official of Pakistan's North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) government also confirmed that investigations were being launched against some 50 officials of seven Pakistan-based Arab and African NGOs working in Afghanistan on suspicions they may be linked to bin Laden and al-Qaeda.
"We suspect that these people have been working as frontline organizations for Osama bin Laden and may create problems for us in case of any attack on Afghanistan," the official said, adding, "We have requested the federal interior ministry to issue directives to deport them."
He did not reveal the names of the respective NGOs under investigation.
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