Khwaja-Omar links being probed

The possibility of a link between the Khwaja family, four members of whom remain in detention, including Dr Javed Ahmed Khwaja, and convict Omar Sheikh, sentenced to death for his role in the murder early last year of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl, are said to be a key issue in the charges against the arrested doctor.

Intelligence agency sources say this is in fact the main reason for the arrest of the family. Attempts are now on to establish a link between the Khwajas and Sheikh, who is at Hyderabad Central Jail.

It is believed Sheikh had stayed at the home of the Khwajas early last year for some time, while the fact that Dr Javed Ahmed's son, also named Omar, was a former classmate of Sheikh's is also a topic of interest for investigators.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is said to believe the friendship between the two Omars in fact went beyond school and resulted in the Khwaja family becoming involved in shielding and protecting wanted militants, including those linked to the Al Qaida.

It may be noted that Omar Sheikh was arrested in April last year not far from the Khwajas' house on the outskirts of Lahore.

Meanwhile, the dispute over the nationality of family members persists, with some doubts over whether Dr Khwaja's sons are U.S. or Pakistani nationals. This would play a key role in matters linked to their extradition and interrogation.

The federal government has furnished the interior ministry's orders before the Lahore High Court (LHC) saying Dr Ahmed Javed Khwaja and his four family members had been detained initially for a period of three months for being involved in anti-state activities at the behest of a "foreign country" and an "organisation".

On the last hearing, the state had been directed to produce two sons and a nephew of Dr Khwaja before the LHC whose whereabouts could not be disclosed following their arrest on December 19 from Manawan area.

Justice Bashir A. Mujahid accepted the state version that the doctor's family members had been detained under a proper order and could not be produced in person due to security reasons. It was, however, observed that the detainees should not be moved outside the jurisdiction of LHC and allowed the family members to see them in the DIG Lahore's office.

Earlier, while showing the orders dated December 30, to the court, the Punjab Advocate-General (AG), Maqbool Elahi Malik, submitted that Dr Ahmad Javed Khwaja, Ahmed Naveed Khwaja, Dr Umar Karar, Dr Khizar Ali, and Mohammed Usman, had been detained under section 3(b) of The Security of Pakistan Act, 1952. Both Dr Javed Khwaja and Naveed Khwaja have already been nominated in a case being heard by an anti-terrorism court.

The court was further informed that the federal government had directed the Punjab home secretary to detain the people in any jail of Punjab for three months.

The AG submitted that three people - Dr Umar Karar, Dr Khizar Ali and Mohammed Usman - had been brought to Lahore and could be produce before the court.