December 05, 2007	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 24, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 4: Two American peace activists campaigning for restoration of democracy here were kept in police custody apparently without charges for about three-and-a-half hours before they were released at midnight on Tuesday being informed they would be deported on Wednesday.

Ms Medea Benjamin and Mr Tighe Barry, who arrived in Pakistan nine days ago to voice their protest at the actions of the US government in Pakistan, were at the Lahore Press Club on Tuesday to attend the joint protest march of students, lawyers and civil society.

They told Dawn at the time that they were being followed by plainclothesmen.

Later, as soon as they left the LPC by a car, they were intercepted by another car. Armed plainclothesmen disembarking from the vehicle forcibly took control of the car the Americans were travelling by and drove them to Racecourse police station.

When Dawn later attempted to contact the activists, Mr Barry picked up the phone but dodged his interrogator in to believing his phone was off. He and Ms Benjamin then proceeded to recount the history of their arrest in the form of a conversation with their captors, intended to be heard by this reporter.

During the conversation, Mr Barry also identified his interrogator as Faiz Gulzar Awan, asking him why they had not been presented with any papers, charged with any offence, and not been allowed to speak to the US Consul.

Later, after they were released, they told Dawn that the police initially told them the whole action was carried out on the request of US embassy and they would be deported to their country on Wednesday.

The activist duo, terming the experience traumatic, said at the time of their arrest the plainclothesmen brutally baton-charged the on-lookers and dispersed them.

However, Elizabeth Golden, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Islamabad, told Dawn: “I confirm that two Americans have been taken in custody by police. I received a call from them (Americans) saying they had been detained and would be deported.” She also said there was no official confirmation.

Earlier, Capital City Police Officer Malik Iqbal kept refusing to give any information about the Americans to this reporter.

The duo, working for Code Pink, an American peace movement, had met with various activists, students and politicians and civil society workers during their stay here.

They had on Sunday staged a 24-hour vigil outside the home of detained lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, and had criticised US ambassador Anne Patterson when she visited the residence of Supreme Court Bar Association president under house-arrest for not placing more pressure on the Pakistani government for his release.