LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), May 2: Afghan authorities re-deported last week a Pakistani national, Mohammad Yousuf, who was expelled by Pakistani border officials after he was interrogated in Jalalabad by Afghan and US officials. Mr Yousuf had been forcibly deported by the border officials at Torkham on April 23 without fulfilling legal requirements. They had insisted that Mr Yousuf was an Afghan and handed him over to Afghan officials after he had a scuffle with another Afghan over a monetary dispute.

Narrating his ordeal at the Landi Kotal Press Club on Friday, Mohammad Yousuf alleged that the Pakistani officials dubbed him an activist of Al Qaeda and handed him over to Afghan officials. He said he was interrogated by both Afghan and American officials in Jalalabad and it was only after their failure to establish his links to any terrorist group that he was handed over to a tribal jirga.

The jirga, headed by Rahmat Khan Sadokhel, had gone to Jalalabad after being approached by three sons and relatives of Mr Yousuf to secure his release.

Mr Yousuf said that he intended to initiate legal proceedings against officials who had dubbed him a terrorist.

Mr Yousuf, who belongs to Mohmand Agency but lives in Charsadda, had a monetary dispute with a businessman, Abdul Hakim, who refused to pay back his loan. They had a scuffle at Torkham after exchanging harsh words. Later, border officials threw him out of the country.