Families of arrested Pakistani-Americans under house arrest

Locals say security personnel deployed around the house.

SWAT:

Security forces placed three Swatis, accused by US law-enforcement officials of financially helping Taliban, under house arrest by security forces.

Ali Rehman, Alam Zeb and Amina Bibi, who have been confined to their homes in the Sirsinai-Galoch village in Swat’s Kabal district, are family members of three Pakistani-Americans arrested by US authorities in Florida and Los Angeles. The six family members have been accused of “supporting acts of murder, kidnapping and maiming in Pakistan and elsewhere” carried out by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The family has, however, denied the claims.

The family-owned madrassa, located in Swat, has also been closed.

“Since last night, security forces have confined Amina Bibi and her son Alam Zeb at their house.

“They are not allowed to meet anybody,” a resident of Galoch said on condition of anonymity.

Locals said security forces have also deployed their men around their house.

Two of the accused – Hafiz Muhammed Sher Ali Khan, 76, and his son, Izhar Khan, 24 – were arrested in South Florida. Another son, Irfan Khan, 37, was detained in Los Angeles.

Khan is the imam at the Miami Mosque, also known as the Flagler Mosque, in Miami.

His son, Izhar Khan, is an imam at the Jamaat al Mu’mineen Mosque in Margate, Florida.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2011.