PESHAWAR, March 29: Three foreigners, who were arrested for their alleged links with the Al Qaeda network, were released on Thursday from the Peshawar jail on a surety of Rs2 million each.

Additional District and Sessions Judge for Peshawar Syed Ahtesham Ali issued orders for the three foreigners’ release after the completion of the necessary documents by the chairman of the Prisoners Relief Commission, former MNA Jawed Ibrahim Paracha.

Those who have been released are Ghulam Kabria of Bangladesh, Morocco-born German national Abdul Karim Abdul Haq and Iranian national Sikandar Aziz Sikandari. All three were presented before media men at the Peshawar Press Club.

Speaking to newsmen, Mr Paracha said that Ghulam Kabria was arrested five years ago from Gujarat district, where he had gone to take part in an Urs. He was living illegally in Karachi since 1983 and had a tea stall there.

He added that Bangladesh had refused to accept him as its national, after which he was shifted to Peshawar jail under the Foreigner’s Act.

Mr Paracha said that Morocco-born Abdul Karim Abdul Haq, who is chairman of a firm called HAQ was arrested in 2004 for allegedly extending financial support to the Al Qaeda. He said that during investigations no charges were proved against Karim, who owned a software business.

However, he was sent to jail under the Foreigner’s Act due to non-availability of travel documents, he added.

He said Iranian national Sikandar Aziz was arrested near the Pak-Iran border and later was shifted to the Peshawar jail, where he was languishing for the last two years.

Mr Paracha said that he was striving for the release of local and foreign prisoners in various jails of Pakistan for which he had obtained the power of attorney from the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

He claimed that he had so far got 2,000 foreign and 3,000 local prisoners released. The released people were arrested for their alleged links with the Al Qaeda and the Taliban but they were found to be innocent.

He revealed that his organisation was striving for the release of Nifaz-i-Shariah Mohammadi leader Maulana Sufi Mohammad.

He denied reports that Sufi Mohammad had himself rejected the offer of release, adding that if the governor gave him permission today he would have Sufi Mohammad released by tomorrow.