Court says Bin Laden’s brother-in-law can meet sister

Court orders agencies to submit reply within 15 days.

ISLAMABAD: Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan of the Islamabad High Court has ordered that Osama Bin Laden's brother-in-law Zakaria Al Sadah be allowed to meet his sister.

During the hearing, Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan said that if Zakaria is not allowed to meet his sister, he will be able to file a request for contempt of court. The court has directed the Interior Secretary, Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) and the presidency to submit a reply within 15 days.

Advocate Aamir Khalil, while presenting evidence to the single-member bench, appealed that Osama bin Laden’s widow and children had been in illegal custody since March 2011. He said that the case was registered in March 2012 therefore permission should be granted for the meeting.

Earlier, Aamir had told the press that Osama’s wife and kids were in the custody of ISI and that Zakaria had met his sister approximately eight times since his arrival in Pakistan.

He went on to add that his client had arrived in the country on a 10-day visa and that the interior ministry had not yet responded to his application for an extension, adding that it was the only institution creating hurdles for his client.

Senior Civil Judge Sharukh Arjumand conducted hearings in the trial of Bin Laden’s widows, Khariah Hussain Sabir and Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah and daughters Mariam and Samina.

Osama’s three wives and two daughters had been booked by the FIA under the Foreigners Act related to abetting a culprit, making fake identity, taking illegal asylum and unlawfully residing in the country.

According to a report available with The Express Tribune, the investigation team revealed that Osama’s children were born in Pakistani hospitals while his wives were admitted under fake identities.

Although the report claims that Osama had entered Pakistan through the porous Afghan border, the investigation team did not name those Pakistanis who had extended their help and provided shelter to the slain al Qaeda chief.

Bin Laden’s youngest wife Amal Abdulfattah was with him in Abbottabad when he was killed last year.