December 03, 2006	Sunday	Ziqa'ad 11, 1427

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PESHAWAR, Dec 2: A prisoners’ relief body has demanded stern action against immigration officials at the Karachi airport allegedly for offloading a six-member Algerian family being deported to their home country on November 28.

Speaking to newsmen at the press club here on Saturday, World Prisoners Relief Commission (WPRC) president Javed Ibrahim Pracha said the immigration officials had demanded of Saeed Majoori, released from the Peshawar prison on court orders, to pay $300 for each of his family members for clearance. Since he could not grease the palms of the officials, his family was offloaded, he added.

Later, the Majoori family was asked to produce a no-objection certificate issued by the interior ministry for clearance from the airport, he said. Since the family did not possess the NOC, it could not make it to the flight, he added.

Mr Pracha complained of similar treatment by immigration officials at other airports of the country.

One Essa Bomadin, who had spent six years in Peshawar prison, was booked for a Qatar Airlines flight.

He was refused to board the aircraft by immigration officials at the Lahore airport on the pretext that some of the passengers, who were aware of Mr Essa's background, had refused to travel on the same flight.

WPRC chief said that a few days back, police had escorted a Germany-based businessman, Karim, from Islamabad to the Peshawar prison.

He said Mr Karim, an Arab from Tunisia and the owner of a company named Haq, had been brought without valid travelling documents to Pakistan.

He said Mr Karim was a computer engineer, and the WPRC managed to win his release through courts.

He said the WPRC had recently secured the release of 17 foreigners languishing in the Peshawar prison.

A 104-year-old prisoner, Dilbar Khan, was alleged to have been a teacher of Osama bin Laden, he said, adding that Mr Khan told the court he was illiterate and a blacksmith by profession.

The political agent of Bajaur had submitted a concocted story in court, he said.

Similarly, he said, secret agencies had arrested an Afghan, Syed Amin Shah, only because he spoke Arabic.

The agents of a secret agency had arrested Abdur Rahim, an Uzbek, from a bus-stand in Dera Ismail Khan and declared that he was a brother of Uzbek commander Tahir Jan, he said.