Pak seeks repatriation of five Pakistanis held in Guantanamo Bay

Washington, Sep 8 : Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, Hussain Haqqani, has contacted American state department and pentagon officials to seek the repatriation of five Pakistani prisoners kept in the Guantanamo Bay detention centre.

Haqqani said that the Pakistani prisoners should be released and handed over to the authorities so that they could be prosecuted in Pakistan if there were any charges against them.

The Daily Times reported that Ume Amaar Al Balochi, Majid Khan, Abdul Rabbani, Muhammad Ahmed, Ghulam Rabbani and Saifullah are the Pakistani detained at Guantanamo.

According to the Pakistan Embassy, this was the first time that US Government had disclosed the actual number of Pakistani prisoners being detained at Guantanamo bay.

The US officials told Haqqani that one prisoner Qari Muhammad Saeed was handed over to Pakistani officials at the PAF Chaklala base on August 29.

The Pakistani officials were told that Amaar Al Balochi was under trail in an army court. The Pentagon officials hinted at the early release of the other four Pakistani prisoners.

The Pakistan Embassy is also continuing to press for the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqi, demanding that she be given access to any facilities she requires while in the US and, eventually, repatriated to Pakistan.

ANI