Lahore, June 02: Pakistan's government was ordered by a second judicial body today to release a doctor and his brother held for almost six months on accusations of harbouring top al-Qaeda figures. The Supreme Court directed the government to make "every effort" to release doctor Ahmed Javed Khawaja and his brother Naveed "in compliance with the orders" of a federal judicial review board, which ruled Saturday that a government detention order could not be extended.

The Khawaja brothers have been in custody since a dramatic midnight raid on their home in Pakistan's second largest city Lahore in December.

The interior ministry accused them of sheltering at least four al-Qaeda business and financial directors from North Africa and ordered their detention under the 1952 Pakistan Security Act.

The detention order needs the approval of the federal review board to be extended every three months.

Last week a provincial anti-terrorism court acquitted the pair of separate charges of possessing illegal weapons and illicit passports, allegedly belonging to the al-Qaeda members, and of firing indiscriminately and at police officers.

Police had accused the men of firing on the scores of commandos who raided their home.

However, despite their acquittals, orders by the country's highest court and the judicial review board, the brothers were still in prison in Lahore.

Bureau Report