March 6, 2003	Thursday	Muharram 2, 1424

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LAHORE, March 5: Three members of the Khwaja family, who were ordered by the LHC to be set free on Feb 27, were released from jail here on Wednesday night.

Punjab Prison IGP Pervaiz Hassan Rajput told Dawn by phone that his office was told by the Punjab home department that their detention order had been withdrawn, so “they have been allowed to go home.”

The IGP said that after their release orders, the three had been detained under section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). “Before this they were in custody under Pakistan Security Act, 1952.”

Naturalized Americans, Dr Omar Karar Khwaja and Dr Khizar Ali Khwaja, two sons of Dr Ahmad Javed Khwaja, and a nephew, Usman Khwaja, a naturalized Canadian, together with four others were picked up by the law-enforcement agencies from their Manawan house on Dec 19 allegedly for harbouring suspected Al Qaeda operatives and having links to its chief financers.

Four of them were allowed to go home the next day; the other five were not. Now, three have been released and the two — Dr Ahmad and his brother Ahmad Naveed Khwaja — are still in custody.

Dr Ahmad’s brother Ahmad Nadeem Khwaja told Dawn by phone that those set free reached home at 9.15pm and “they are all right.” They are tired and needed rest, he said.

“Thank God, they are back and we hope the other two will also be released soon.” He said they had to walk home.

A writ petition filed by the family seeking contempt proceedings against the Punjab government is due to be taken up in the LHC on Thursday (today) for not obeying its Feb 17 order for the release of the three men.