Five US national to be indicted on terror charges in Pakistan

Lahore, Jan 4 (ANI): The five US nationals arrested last month in Pakistan will be indicted under different sections of Anti-Terrorism Act on Monday when they will be presented in Sargodha District and Sessions Court.

Waqar Hussain Khan (22), Virginia, Ahmed Abdullah Mani (20), Virginia, Ramay S Zamzam (22), Iman Hasan Yamar (17), California and Omar Farouk (24), Virginia, were arrested in Sargodha on December 9, for "plotting terror attacks in Pakistan and Afghansitan."

"They will be charge-sheeted under sections 11-I-F and 11-V-N of the ATA for hatching criminal conspiracy against the state and plotting terror attacks here and abroad. The maximum sentence for the offence is life imprisonment," Sargodha District Police Officer Dr Usman Anwar told Dawn.

A joint investigation team comprising officials of all intelligence agencies and police have interrogated the accused and submitted their report to Punjab IG.

According to the report, an Arab American, Saifullah, had ensured the accused that he would help them fulfill their desire to join hands with anti-US forces in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"After arriving in Pakistan, they were to meet him (Saifullah) in Mianwali on Dec 9 from where they were to go to Hangu and Kohat to meet some Al-Qaeda people before leaving for their final destination (Afghanistan)," the report says.

It further reveals Saifullh had come here from the US in August this year. Though the intelligence agencies have picked up over a dozen suspects from Kohat and Hangu on their (US nationals') information but there is no trace of Saifullah.

"The boys had also contacted someone in Dubai who is believed to be the part of Saifullah network."

"In Pakistan, they were to target some important installation on the direction of their new bosses. Zamzam appears to be a strategist while Omar and Mani are good at computer hardware and software and they could have been properly used by Al-Qaeda elements to carry out their future operations," it says. (ANI)