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Posted on 01/10/2003 11:26:19 PM PST by HAL9000
KARACHI: Pakistan is likely to hand over the custody of Abu Omar, one of al-Qaeda militants nabbed from Gulshan-e-Maymar on Thursday, to the United States in a day or two, while his wife and three sons are likely to be flown to Morocco - their homeland - on Saturday. Highly placed sources disclosed this on Friday.
"We have completed our investigations and are now satisfied that Abu Omar was not involved in any subversive activity in Pakistan," said a senior intelligence official, who wished not to be named.
He said: "The investigations revealed that Abu Omar was trying to establish Pakistan Sector of al-Qaeda and he was in constant touch with dreaded terrorist Khalid Shaikh Muhammad, who was supposed to be the head of al-Qaeda operations network. But he (Abu Omar) doesn't know about Khalid's hiding."
Well-informed sources observed that it was clear after investigations that Khalid Shaikh Muhammad was in Karachi. "We are narrowing the noose around him and soon he will be in our hands," said a source.
The official further disclosed that law-enforcement agencies also detained Abu Omar's wife and his three sons, aged six to two, from the house but on Friday they were handed over to Honorary Consul General of Morocco. The official said: "Abu Omar's family is likely to be flown out of Pakistan on Saturday."
He stated that Pakistan also handed over the families of the al-Qaeda militants to their concerned diplomatic officials for sending them to their respective countries. He said: "We have sent Abu Omar and Abu Hamza's photographs and fingerprints to American authorities and the US wants Abu Omar's extradition. Final decision will, however, be taken by the government," he observed.
"Abu Omar is a hardcore activist of al-Qaeda with the US having his complete record but the US has not given to Pakistan the details of his terrorist activities," he added. Intelligence officials said Abu Omar was also in touch with Ramzi Bin al-Shiba and other al-Qaeda militants, who were arrested on September 11, 2002 after an encounter in Defence area. Later, Ramzi Bin al-Shibah, along with four others, were extradited from Pakistan to the US.
Sources said the weapons, bullets and hand grenades recovered in the recent incident at Gulshan-e-Maymar were the same as were recovered in Defence case earlier. Sources revealed that Abu Hamza proved a difficult man as he was not co-operating with the investigators and they are not satisfied with what he stated.
"Even United States has no record of Abu Hamza," said an investigator and added: "He doesn't know any other language except Arabic, hails from Yemen and had escaped from Afghanistan after the fall of Taliban rule."
Informed sources confided to The News that owing to the slackness on the part of Rangers, a man residing in the same house along with Abu Omar, managed to escape from the backyard.
Sources, who participated in the operation, said Rangers personnel had cordoned off backside of the house, but escaped from the scene after explosion of a grenade that inmates of the house hurled on police. Taking advantage of the situation the third man broke the grill and escaped jumping out of the house.
Intelligence officials identified him as Ameer Muavia, who was second in command of Abu Omar. Reliable sources said local investigators, along with agents of the FBI, visited Shahid Ali Khan's house and remained there for some hours and searched thoroughly the first floor of the house. They also questioned Khan's family and directed them not to leave the city without informing them.
Police sources said Shahid Ali Khan was tenant of a vet Murtaza, living in Brunei now, had rented out first floor of the house without informing his landlord. Shahid had given the first floor of the house to one Adnan of Lahore for three months without any agreement. He told investigators that he was unaware of the fact that any foreigner was also residing at the first floor. Meanwhile, a case against unknown accused was registered at Surjani Town Police Station through FIR 8/2003. The police, after lodging the case, sealed the FIR.
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