Islamabad: Pakistan has freed a top-level al Qaeda prisoner who spent years guarding and fighting alongside Osama bin Laden, according to two senior Pakistani police officials, who informed that Amin al-Haq was not a “key player” in the terror group, and “had no information of great value”.
“Eventually there was nothing that could be used to keep holding him in custody,” said one of the officials on condition of anonymity.
British daily The Telegraph was first to report the release on Thursday. Their report also cites a senior Pakistani security official, who told the paper al-Haq was “arrested mistakenly, therefore, the police failed to prove any charge of his association with Osama bin Laden and the court set him free.”
Al-Haq’s release raises more questions about Pakistan’s commitment to tackle Islamic militant groups which operate within parts of the nation with near impunity.
According to The Telegraph, al-Haq, an Afghan national and a trained doctor, was at bin Laden’s side for about a decade, even traveling with the delegation which brought the al Qaeda leader to Afghanistan from Africa in 1996.
News of his release was first reported about a week ago, by the Afghan Islamic Press agency, quoting al-Haq’s family members. They told the AIP he had already been free for about two weeks at that stage.
The Telegraph, which has tracked the militant’s movements, says he fought at the Tora Bora complex in Afghanistan where US troops had bin Laden cornered just weeks after the Sept 11 attacks on New York and Washington, and he helped the terror chief escape capture and flee into Pakistan.
The security officials’ claims that al-Haq was freed due to a lack of evidence are dubious, given that suspects are often held without charge for long periods of time in Pakistan without charge – particularly terror suspects.
“They could only have released him with the say so of America or if maybe there really was no evidence or he was not that important,” speculates Rahimullah Yusufzai, an analyst who has interviewed many Islamic militant leaders, in The Telegraph’s article.
How much operational information al-Haq might actually have been exposed to as a member of bin Laden’s security detail is unclear. Pakistani intelligence sources said he was merely one of many bodyguards to the terror leader, and was not privy to valuable information.
The ISI held al-Haq from the time of his arrest, believed to be in 2007, until handing him over to the police as a lesser-value prisoner more recently.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription