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| Tuesday, 29 October, 2002, 15:16 GMT Pakistan holds freed Guantanamo inmate ![]() More than 600 men are still being held at the base The family of a Pakistani man freed on Sunday from a US military base in Cuba are still waiting for him to return home. Mohammed Sagheer was seen arriving back in Islamabad after months in captivity, but has since been in Pakistani custody.
But officials say Mr Sagheer will be released only if he passes further questioning, and refuse to say where he is being held. "The Pakistan Government will ask him questions - after all he was in Afghanistan at the time of detention," official spokesman Major-General Rashid Qureshi told the BBC. "If he is found clean he will be released, otherwise he remains under detention." 'Not a warrior' Some reports say Mr Sagheer was a member of a banned extremist organisation which sent thousands of its members to Afghanistan to fight for the Taleban. Friends and relatives dismiss the allegation out of hand.
According to one of Mr Sagheer's sons, his father went to Afghanistan with a missionary team, and not to fight US-led forces. Another son - Mr Sagheer is thought to have 16 children by two wives - denied point blank that his father was a militant. "My father is not a warrior or terrorist, he is a simple Muslim," he told the AFP news agency. Not a threat Mr Sagheer, released along with three Afghans, is the first of 58 Pakistanis held in US custody in Guantanamo Bay to be freed.
The US says the men are no longer considered a threat, or of further use to the intelligence services. Pakistani officials say they expect more of their citizens to be repatriated, but have given no indication of any timescale. Human rights groups have criticised the US for holding about 600 men from some 40 countries at Guantanamo indefinitely, without bringing any charges against them. |
See also: 29 Oct 02 | South Asia 02 Sep 02 | South Asia 28 Aug 02 | South Asia 25 Jun 02 | Americas 19 Aug 02 | South Asia 30 Apr 02 | Americas Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top South Asia stories now: Links to more South Asia stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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