ISLAMABAD, Oct 16: The US secretary of state Colin Powell met the families of aid workers detained in Afghanistan here on Tuesday, well-placed sources informed Dawn.

A spokesperson of the US embassy Mark Wentworth, when contacted, confirmed the meeting and said: “It was a private meeting.”

Answering a question, the embassy spokesman said: “In respect of the privacy of the families, I cannot provide any more details about the meeting.”

The aid workers were detained by the Taliban authorities on the charge of preaching Christianity. After initial hearings, their trial is pending before a Taliban supreme court following the US attacks on Afghanistan.

Last week, the Taliban government offered to release the aid workers at the same time as the British journalist provided the US stopped anti-Taliban campaign. The offer was not entertained.