Osama Family Complete Jail Term, Face Deportation

Islamabad, April 18, IRNA – Osama bin Laden's three widows and two eldest daughters Wednesday completed their 45-day sentence for living in Pakistan illegally and could be deported any time. A local court had awarded them a jail term of 45 days in prison and been fined 10,000 rupees ($114) each on April 2 on charges of illegal entry and residency in Pakistan. The women had already served a month of their sentence and the judge had ordered their deportation on completion of sentence. They have been in custody of Pakistani security agencies since US military killed the al-Qaeda chief in May last year. The widows - two Saudi Arabians and a Yemeni - had been held at a house in the capital, Islamabad, which had been declared as a 'sub-jail'. Pakistan had formally charged them for illegal stay last month. Formal legal proceedings against the women were held inside the house over security concerns. The deportation of the 16 members of the family could happen any time after they complete jail term mid-night on Wednesday, Amir Khalil, counsel of the Osama family has said. Their other lawyer, Atif Ali Khan has the Yemeni government had agreed to take back Osama’s younger Yemeni widow, Amal Abdulfattah and her children. He said he was also in talks with the Saudi authorities about the deportation of the two Saudi widows -- Khairiah Sabar and Siham Sharif. Officials say that a meeting was held at the interior ministry Monday night to finalise the arrangements and the family is likely to be send to Saudi Arabia or Yemen. 'They will go tonight or tomorrow early in the morning and they are most likely to be flown to Saudi Arabia,' Khalil said. He said Laden's youngest wife Amal Abdulfattah, who is a Yemini, maybe sent from Saudi Arabia to Yemen later, along with the five children. A large number of local and foreign media were present outside the house of Osama family, expecting their deportation in the mid-night. Local media reported that the deportation was delayed due to some problems in the documentation and a formal permission from the Interior Ministry. A commission, investigating presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and the U.S. special forces operation to kill him has also allowed the family to leave Pakistan as they are no more required for questioning. The commission had interviewed the adult members of the family as part of the investigation process./end