TORONTO, Aug 29: Pakistani diplomats in Ottawa have approached Canada’s foreign office to seek the release of 18 Pakistanis, mostly students, who were arrested here on Aug 14 with police suspecting links with Al Qaeda.

A senior official at the Pakistan embassy told Dawn on Friday that efforts were being made to get complete information about the arrested people. “We have also asked the foreign office to allow Pakistani diplomats to meet the arrested people who may need legal aid,” he said.

Meanwhile, another Pakistani, Saifullah Khan, was granted bail on Thursday.

Security officials allege the arrested men, linked to a sleeper terrorist cell, may have experimented with explosives and wanted to find out the specifications of prominent buildings in Canada.

ONE DIES: Urdu poet Muneef Ashar and four members of his family were seriously injured, whereas his son Danish, 25, was killed in a car accident here on Thursday.

Police said Mr Ashar, his wife, two sons Faisal and Danish, daughter-in-law and a two-year-old granddaughter were returning from Calgary in a car when the accident occurred. Faisal lost control and the car turned turtle when suddenly a moose came in front of the vehicle.

Danish suffered head injuries and died on the spot. His burial is set for Saturday in Toronto.

Mr Ashar and his family members were being treated at Sunny Broke Hospital, whereas his granddaughter was shifted to Toronto’s The Sick Children’s Hospital.

Mr Ashar, a cancer patient, lived in Riyadh for many years before migrating to Canada where he formed Bazm-i- Fanoos, a literary organization, three years ago.