Daily Times : Britain refuses bail to Pakistani students

Britain refuses bail to Pakistani students

APP | Thursday, July 30, 2009

LONDON: The Special Immigration Appeals Commission on Wednesday refused bail applications moved by Pakistani students, detained by the British authorities for "posing a high risk" to the UK national security.

The commission at the Royal Courts of Justice in Central London heard bail pleas by Muhammad Ramazan and Ahmad Faraz in open and secret sessions and refused bail in all seven cases. The bail applications on behalf of Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan, which were moved on Tuesday by Barrister Sigbhatullah Kadri and solicitor Amjad Malik, and that of Abid Naseer – submitted on Monday – were also turned down.

The attorneys for Rizwan Sharif and Muhammad Farooq did not apply for bail on Wednesday but according to Amjad Malik, Justice Mitting turned all applications down saying "none admitted to bail and full reasons will be given in due course".

The students were among 12 people arrested last April in a security swoop across north-west England by the British anti-terror units. After three weeks, the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence but the students, 10 of whom hailing from the NWFP, were handed over to the UK Borders Agency for deportation. One of them, Tariqur Rehman, returned home last month on his own after the British authorities agreed to withdraw deportation charges. The authorities have already released two other students – Janas Khan and Sher Khan.