Five US nationals indicted on terror charges in Pakistan

Sargodha, Mar 17 (ANI): A Pakistani court has charged five US nationals for funnelling money to outlaws and plotting a terror attack that could see them jailed for life if found guilty.

The Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday charged five men aged 19 to 25 who denied the seven charges read out by Judge Anwar Nazeer under tight security at the district jail of Sargodha, where they were arrested in December.

"Charges have been laid against all the accused. All these charges are terrorism-related. The offences are punishable by life imprisonment," defence lawyer Shahid Kamal told reporters.

The court named the five as Umar Farooq, Waqar Hussain, Rami Zamzam, Ahmad Abdullah Mini and Amman Hassan Yammer, The News reports.

"A total of seven charges have been laid against them. They include funding a banned or proscribed organisation and helping out a banned organisation. One of the charges is conspiring to carry out a terrorist attack within Pakistan or an allied country," Kamal said.

Prosecutors and police have demanded the five men to be charged with plotting militant attacks in Pakistan and attempting to commit an act of terror against countries that are at peace with Pakistan.

Pakistani officials have said the young men planned to travel to neighbouring Afghanistan and join up with Taliban-led militants fighting US and Nato troops.

The five men professed their innocence Wednesday, lawyers told reporters. (ANI)