LAHORE, Jan 14: The Punjab home department, in a report submitted to the Lahore High Court on Tuesday, alleged that Dr Ahmad Javed Khwaja and Ahmad Naveed Khwaja had links with Al-Qaeda and had been providing shelter to its active members at their residence.

The report was submitted on the direction of the LHC, asking both the federal and provincial governments to justify the detention of five family members of Khwaja family for three months under the Security of Pakistan Act, 1952, by Tuesday. However, the provincial home ministry gave its findings to the extent of Dr Ahmad Khwaja and Nadeem Khwaja only, saying the federal government was in a better position to justify the detention of the remaining three.

The interior ministry could not file its report before the LHC on Tuesday and the its secretary is likely to file it on Wednesday (today) when the LHC would also take up the petition challenging the detention.

The main findings of the report were based on a memorandum issued by the Lahore District Police Officer on Jan 13.

As mentioned in the report, Ahmad Naveed Khwaja disclosed during his interrogation before the local police that he met Abu Yasir, an Egyptian, and Abdul Aziz, a Saudi, the two alleged active members of Al Qaeda, during his visit to Afghanistan in 1998. He had also taken part in the Afghan Jehad, said the report.

It was further stated that Dr Ahmad Javed Khwaja had been providing medical aid to the injured Mujahideen. Both the detainees allegedly provided shelter to the two wives and 10 children of Abdul Aziz at their residence in Manawan area who were left there by Abu Aziz and Abu Yasir. Out of the two ladies, one was claimed to be an Egyptian and other a Sudanese, allegedly staying with their six and four children, respectively, at the residence of the two detainees. According to the police findings laid down in the report, both Abdul Aziz and Abu Yasir had been visiting the house of the two detainees after every 10 to 15 days. The report said an FIR had been registered against the two detainees on charges of opening indiscriminate fire on police and conspiring against the sovereignty of the country.

The provincial home ministry denied the allegation that the FIR lodged against the detainees was fake, saying the police findings were correct and sufficient to substantiate its registration.