By Zaffar Abbas BBC correspondent in Islamabad

Pakistan has asked the United States to release and repatriate the 58 Pakistani nationals who have been held along with other suspected al-Qaeda members at Guantanamo Bay prison.

US officials could hold back some Pakistanis

A team of Pakistani intelligence and security officials recently visited the detention centre at the naval base on Cuba and interrogated each of the Pakistani prisoners.

Based on the results of the interrogation, the investigators concluded that none of them had any links with the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

The men were arrested by US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan during the early days of the military operations in that country against al-Qaeda fighters and forces of the Taleban regime.

Later on, they were flown to Guantanamo Bay along with the other suspected al-Qaeda members.

Identity still secret

The Pakistani team has now returned to the country and a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday that team members believed none of the Pakistani detainees had any links with al-Qaeda or any other terror group.

The spokesman also said the Pakistani authorities had carried out a thorough background check on these men and none of them had been found to be involved in any illegal activities.

Pakistan has now asked the US to release and repatriate these men as soon as possible.

The spokesman said there was a strong possibility that most of these prisoners would soon be sent back to Pakistan.

But he also said American officials had indicated that a few of the detained Pakistanis might be held back for further questioning.

The spokesman did not disclose the identity of the Pakistani detainees but said the security officials were convinced of their innocence.