APP : UK lawyers raise detained Pak students issue

UK lawyers raise detained Pak students issue

April 21, 2009

LONDON, April 21 (APP)‑Association of UK‑based Pakistani Lawyers has raised the issue of detained Pakistani students on terrorism suspicion and has called for due process of law. In a statement, the APL Chairman Amjad Malik has demanded that British Government must allow the detained Pakistani students to have access to their respective country’s mission as protected by diplomatic norms and convention and as well as access to their family member(s) to confirm their arrest and well being.

Furthermore, the students be allowed to have access to their attorney of choice as protected by Article 6(3) c of the European Convention on Human Rights 195,and the UK authorities also allow the detained Pakistani students to have a periodical check up with the respective medical officer to ensure they are not tortured.

Malik said the British Government must also ensure that the detained Pakistani students have access to their basic human rights such as right to have a free and fair trial believing them innocent until proven guilty and their right to liberty must be protected through its free, independent, Civil and Constitutional Courts.

ôIf there is any evidence against them, they be allowed to face a trial by charging them rather than keeping them under administrative detention where nothing is known and one sided media trial takes place on limited information,ö he said.

Ten of those 12 arrested are Pakistan‑born nationals on student visas and one is a UK‑born British national. One Afghani national has been transferred to the UK Border and Immigration Agency.