Bring him to court, bomb suspect's family asks Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Oct 10 (Reuters) A relative of a suspected British al Qaeda operative central to a plot to blow up transatlantic airliners today called on Pakistan to bring him to court so his family can be reassured of his wellbeing.

Pakistan announced the arrest of Rashid Rauf in August, days after British police foiled a plot to carry out suicide bombings on several US-bound planes from London.

Pakistan said Rauf, who holds dual Pakistani-British nationality, was a ''key person'' in the plot and had contact with an al Qaeda operative in Afghanistan.

Zahoor Akhtar, a brother-in-law of Rauf's mother, told Reuters he had filed a petition in Lahore High Court asking for Rauf to appear in court.

Akhtar said Rashid's family was fearful that he would be ''sold'' to the United States or Britain by Pakistan on ''imaginary charges'' or would be kept in prolonged detention without any legal authority.

He also sought a meeting between Rauf and his family.

Lawyer Hashmat Habib told Reuters: ''The preliminary hearing of the (petition) is likely to be fixed before a high court bench on Friday.'' According to news reports, Rauf had left Britain and travelled to Pakistan in 2002.

Pakistan has arrested seven people, including two British Muslims of Pakistani descent, in connection with the plot but has identified only Rauf so far.

REUTERS SHB ND2332