KARACHI, Oct 16: The Al-Akhtar Trust International on Thursday dismissed the US allegations that the Trust had been supporting extremist elements in Iraq or had links with Al Qaeda.

“The US should come out with proofs to support its accusations,” a trust official said and also denied having contacts with the accused nominated in the kidnapping and murder case of Daniel Pearl.

Vice President of the trust, Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, who was addressing a press conference at its office on Thursday, said the AATI was a welfare organisation and was being run by observing all international laws.

“As far as the US allegation of providing first aid to the injured members of Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan is concerned”, he said “its medical centres have been performing humanitarian services to all patients without any discrimination.”

“Ours is a non-political and welfare organization which has its own manifesto, having no links, whatsoever, with any other individual or organization.”

The trust official admitted that the organization launched fund collection drive in last March on the eve of aggression against Iraq by allied forces for the rehabilitation of the oppressed Iraqi people and for this purpose, the trust had tried to contact the Iraqi consulate, but getting no response, the funds collected were utilized on welfare work in backward areas of Pakistan.

He also denied that they had special contacts with the Taliban, recalling that the Trust’s scope of welfare services in Afghanistan was quite enlarged and the trust had to have contact with the governments.

After the Taliban government, the AATI also had contacts with the present government to carry out welfare activities in Afghanistan. He disclosed that only recently Governor Kandahar Gul Agha Sherzai sent them an appreciation letter for the services provided by the organization in the province.

Responding to questions, Maulana Ibrahim Khan said that they had neither any accounts in the US, nor had any assets. However, in Pakistan they been maintaining accounts in local banks.

He said all the 320 organizations black-listed by the US were, in fact, Muslim NGOs which were busy in welfare work to counter the Christian-controlled NGOs working for secularism.

To a question, the administrator of the trust, Mohammad Zahid Ahmed Khan, showed the audited accounts of the Islamabad-based chartered accountant firm.

Mr Zahid Khan said the funds were donated by sympathisers of the AATI and followers of Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (RA) who were in millions and spread over in different countries.