PESHAWAR, June 11: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has interrogated more than 70 Arab, Afghan and Pakistani suspects for their alleged links with the Al Qaeda network in the Frontier province since the first batch of pro-Taliban volunteers arrived in Peshawar after being released by the Afghan deputy defence minister and Uzbak warlord, Gen Abdur Rashid Dostam, from the notorious Shabarghan prison.

Sources informed Dawn here on Tuesday that four of those interrogated had been sent to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for further investigation. “Some of the pro-Taliban Pakistani volunteers, who were released by Gen Dostum were interrogated, but the FBI investigation team failed to find their links with the Al Qaeda network,” they said.

“During the investigations, the FBI team also violated the Pakistani law and forced the country’s intelligence agencies to shift the prisoners from jail to their interrogation cell without getting permission from the Home Department,” the sources said, adding that since the operation against Al Qaeda suspects had been launched, a lot of people had approached the intelligence agencies and had provided names of their rivals as Al Qaeda suspects to settle their scores. “But they are discouraged and no action is taken on their identification.”

According to the sources, the Pakistani prisoners, some of whom were injured, were extremely religious, and when they were shifted from the FBI interrogation cell to a hospital, they refused to get medical treatment from female nurses. Later male nurses treated them.

Shah Hussain, deputy prayer leader of the Zaid bin Haris Mosque in Hayatabad, said the 14 Arabs, who had been picked up by the FBI team in Hayatabad and Rigi localities two weeks back, were innocent and pious. Some of the arrested Arabs were said to have been living in Hayatabad since long.

Hussain said those arrested had extended both financial and humanitarian aid to Afghan refugees in the country.