PESHAWAR: Six Pakistanis, earlier released from Bagram jail by US authorities and currently imprisoned in Peshawar, were allowed to meet their family members on Monday on the directives of the Lahore High Court.

According to sources, the Pakistanis were arrested by US authorities on suspicion of links to the Taliban and al Qaeda, but were later released after it could not prove the charges against them.

The prisoners were handed over to the Pakistani authorities on Nov 16 and have since been kept at the Central Jail in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The prisoners’ relatives had filed an application at the Lahore High Court with the help of the Justice Project Pakistan, seeking the release of the prisoners.

We have been told by the prison officials that these six prisoners have been held under Section 40 of FCR on the order of the administration of Khyber Agency,” said Barrister Sarah Belal, director of JPP.

She said she would raise the matter before LHC during the hearing on Dec 5.

The lawyer said prisoners would be again produced before the political agent on Dec 6.

“I am at a loss why these innocent people have been detained by Pakistan authorities,” the lawyer said, adding that the government should release them forthwith as their further detention was unconstitutional and illegal.

Among the six being held at the Peshawar central jail, two people are from Khyber agency, two belong to South Waziristan agency, while one is from Peshawar.

The sixth prisoner is said to be originally from South Waziristan agency but he had been living in Karachi.

Two of the prisoners held at the Peshawar Central jail have been identified as Hamidullah Khan of South Waziristan, Umar Khan of Khyber Agency.

The Justice Project Pakistan identifies some Pakistanis held at Bagram jail as Younis Rehmatullah of Balochistan, Haleem Saifullah of Karachi, Fazal Karim of Swat, Aimal Khan of Manshera, Iftikhar Ahmed of Pakpattan, Shoaib Ahmed of Abbotabad and Amanat Ali of Jaranwala, Lahore.

Wakeel Khan, the father of one of the prisoners said he had met his son after five years. “My son is innocent he must be released,” he said.

Hammadullah, Hamidullah’s brother, said that it was a great occasion for him to finally see his missing brother. “Five years ago, I was too young. But I am very, very happy to see him alive,” he said.