Nuclear scientist among Hizb-ut-Tahrir members arrested in Islamabad

Islamabad, Oct. 20 : A Pakistani nuclear scientist is among 32 members of banned terror organization Hizb- ut-Tahrir who were arrested from Islamabad on Sunday.

Rizwan Aleem, a nuclear scientist and a PhD student at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology is currently being interrogated by the Islamabad Police.

According to Daily Times, the arrested activists also include a USAID official and an environmental scientist.

Abid Mehmood is an officer of a United States Agency for International Development while Aman Hamza is an environmental scientist.

According to sources, all the members are likely to be handed over to intelligence agencies for further interrogation.

Nearly, all the 32 are highly qualified persons such as computer engineers, telecom engineers, environment scientists, civil engineers, businessman and an officer of US-Aid project.

They have been booked under Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

Hate literature and other objectionable materials were also recovered during the raid on Sunday.

"The government had banned the outfit and barred its activities but the organization was working secretly and creating unrest among the public through the SMS and statements. The arrested activists have been charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act," Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Kaleem Imam had said.