RAWALPINDI, March 22: A civil judge and judicial magistrate on Saturday allowed the family of Aqeel Ahmad Abdul Qudoos to visit him in jail.

Mr Qudoos, who had been booked by Westridge police along with operatives of secret agencies on March 1, from his house for allegedly harbouring the top Al Qaeda activist, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, and his Somali aide, is serving his judicial remand in Adiala Jail. None of his family have been allowed to visit him in prison.

 Mr Qudoos’ family members, including his mother, Mahe Loka Khanum; wife, Ferzana; son, Bilal Khan and daughter, Isha Khan had submitted an application in the court of the civil judicial magistrate, Iqbal Guraya, wherein they had pleaded to be allowed to visit Mr Qudoos. The court had received two different applications; one from Qudoos’ wife and another from his mother and two children.

The court directed the station house officer of the Westridge police station to present the challan soon as possible. The court moved after receiving the application from the defence council.

In his application, the defence council, Sardar Ishaq and Qausain Faisal, had contended that according to Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) police must submit the complete or incomplete challan within 15 days. The SHO had yet to present the challan.