Pakistan Times : Bail plea of Pakistani students in UK rejected

Bail plea of Pakistani students in UK rejected

'Pakistan Times' UK Bureau | July 30, 2009

LONDON (UK): The bail applications moved by incarcerated Pakistani students - detained by the British authorities on reasons of national security - have been refused by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

The Commission at the Royal Courts of Justice in Central London heard bail applications of Muhammad Ramazan and Ahmad Faraz in open and secret sessions and refused bail in all the seven cases.

The bail applications on behalf of Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan which were moved Tuesday by Barrister Sigbhatullah Kadri and solicitor Amjad Malik were also turned down and as that of Abid Naseer which was submitted on Monday.

The solicitors for Rizwan Sharif and Muhammad Farooq did not apply for bail today 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 persons arrested last April in a security swoop across north west England by the British anti-terror units.After three weeks, the charges were dropped on lack of evidence but the students - ten of whom hailing from NWFP - were handed over to the UK Borders Agency for deportation.

One of them Tariq-ur-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 from detention.