The Pakistani authorities say a doctor arrested last month harboured prominent members of the al-Qaeda network.

The family of Dr Khawaja say his detention is illegal

A statement from the Interior Ministry said Dr Ahmed Javed Khawaja and members of his family had given refuge to wanted al-Qaeda suspects at a residential compound near Lahore.

The government was responding to a petition filed by the doctor's family contending that his detention was unlawful.

Four other members of the family are also detained being under Pakistan's stringent security laws.

Giving refuge

The government statement named those the doctor and his family had helped as:

• Abu Yasir al-Jazairi, an Algerian-Moroccan national responsible for al-Qaeda business affairs.

• Sheikh Said al-Masri, an Egyptian national in charge of al-Qaeda finances.

• Assadullah, an Egyptian national from the militant Jamaat al-Islamiyyah group.

• Abu Faraj, head of al-Qaeda's North African network and deputy to Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, who is believed to have helped plan the 11 September attacks.

There was no indication of the current whereabouts of those named.

The Interior Ministry says that items recovered from the family include foreign passports - amongst them three Sudanese, three Egyptian and one Afghan.

This clearly proves "that Khawaja's family were involved in facilitating and harbouring al-Qaeda elements", the authorities say.

A lawyer for the family, Hamid Khan, said the statement was not supported by any material evidence, and that they planned to file a response.

FBI 'involvement'

The security forces originally arrested nine members of the family in December, reportedly with help from the FBI.

Four were subsequently released.

A fortnight ago, lawyers and relatives were finally allowed access to the detainees after a court forced the authorities to reveal where the men were being held.

The family are seeking to have them freed on the grounds that they were detained illegally.

Of the five detainees, the doctor and his brother, Ahmad Naveed Khawaja, face separate charges under Pakistan's anti-terrorism laws, although it is not clear when their trial will begin.

The reported involvement of US FBI agents in the case has led to protests by groups opposed to Pakistan's support for the US-led war on terror.

The Pakistani authorities have arrested a number of al-Qaeda suspects who have fled Afghanistan and handed them over to the US for questioning.

President Musharraf has pledged to clamp down on extremist activity, but his stance has drawn criticism from Islamic groups and others opposed to the US.