M A I N   N E W S

19 Pakistanis detained in Canada

Toronto, August 24
Canada has detained 19 men of Pakistani origin alleging that they entered the country on false documents and trained in flying aircraft over sensitive nuclear sites.

The Public Security and Anti-Terrorism Unit arrested the men saying they had obtained false student visas. The agency claims to have documented suspicious behaviour that mirrored the activities of the hijackers of September 11.

The individuals not only lived in clusters of four to five men, but changed their place of residence frequently and sometimes overnight. Some diagrams of flight paths and nuclear sites were found in their apartments, the authorities alleged.

The National Post, quoting Canadian officials, said most of the 19 men arrested are from the Punjab province of Pakistan and are Sunni Muslims, the majority between 18 and 33 years of age.

Immigration detention hearings were held this week in which documents presented about the 19 detainees showed “there is a pattern of fraudulent document use to obtain or maintain immigration status”, it said.

“The majority have not sought to regularise their status in Canada and although they appear to have the ability to support themselves in Canada, they have no clear source of income,” the National Post said quoting the documents. — IANS