ISLAMABAD, March 17: Seven Pakistani prisoners are still languishing in Gauntanamo Bay jail, says Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao. The minister was speaking with media persons after inaugurating a radio-cab service in here on Friday.

He said that the US authorities were shifting inmates of the Gauntanamo Bay detention centre to some other place. He did not specify.

He said seven Pakistani national were still there while many other had been repatriated by the US authorities.

Earlier, the minister said these prisoners were in the Abu Ghuraib Jail in Iraq and some of the news channels air footage about them. But later he retracted his statement and clarified that he was talking about the Gauntanamo Bay detention centre and not the Abu Ghuraib jail.

Referring to the holding of general elections, he said that fresh elections would be held in 2007 and President General Pervez Musharraf would continue as president for the next five years if elected by the parliament.

“President Musharraf should be re-elected anew to acknowledge his services and for pulling the country out of economic and political imbroglios,” the minister said.

Talking about the extradition treaty between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, the minister said that the two sides were working on the draft and the treaty would be signed soon.