Lahore, Feb 26: A Pakistani judge today declined to hear a case of contempt against a senior provincial official who disobeyed an order to release three men accused of links to the al-Qaeda terror network. Lahore High Court judge Javed Buttar said he was unable to take up the case because he was related to the official. The case relates to a petition filed by Amtul Jalil, wife of doctor Ahmad Javed Kahawaja. Jalil sought contempt proceedings against provincial home secretary Syed Ijaz Shah and four others for not releasing three detainees. The three accused are Kahawaja's two American-born son, Umar Karar and Khizer Ali, and his Canadian-born nephew Muhammad Usman Kahawaja.

The three were arrested along with Kahawaja and his brother Naveed in a dramatic midnight raid on their Lahore home in December.

The interior ministry has accused them of hiding at least four top al-Qaeda "terrorists" -- including the business and financial directors of the terror network and the head of its north African branch.

Buttar on February 17 had ordered the release of the three men on the grounds of inadequate evidence, while he upheld the detentions of Kahawaja and Naveed.

Bureau Report