US terror suspects to be interrogated in Lahore by joint investigation team

Lahore, Dec.13 (ANI): All five US origin terror suspects, who were arrested from Sargodha earlier this week, have been shifted to Lahore, for further interrogation by a joint investigation team.

The FBI team has returned home after handing over the suspects to the Pakistani authorities.

"The FBI team has left for home and the US nationals have been handed over to a joint investigation team in Lahore," The Dawn quoted Sargodha police chief Dr. Usman Anwar, as saying.

Anwar said the Punjab government has formed a joint investigation team on the directions of the federal government.

It is still not clear whether the men, all in their late 20's, would be deported to America or not. Interior Minister Rehman Malik had earlier clarified that investigations were still on, and that the issue of deporting the accused men would only be taken up once the Pakistani authorities complete their probe.

According to one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the men were trying travel to the Taliban heartland.

"They contacted a man known only as Saifullah, who has links with Al-Qaeda, and they were set to go to Mianwali on the day they were arrested to see him," the official, who is privy to the imvestigations, he said.

"Saifullah had asked them to come to Mianwali where one of his men would contact them and arrange a meeting at some unknown place. According to our investigations the group wanted to go to Waziristan via Mianwali to get terrorist training," he added (ANI)