Osama Bin Ladens family members who are in Pakistans custody after the Abbottabad operation will not be sent to a third country, or handed over to the United States. This was announced by Firdous Ashiq Awan, Pakistani minister of information, at a press conference, Arab News reported Sunday. Asked about the reported refusal of Saudi Arabia to accept the three widows and nine children of Bin Laden, Awan said that these matters would be dealt with in the framework of legal procedures and international conventions. But the family members will not be sent to a third country, or handed over to the United States, she said. According to reports, the Yemeni government has refused to accept Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, one of the three widows of Bin Laden, and her five children. Amal, 29, is the youngest widow of Bin Laden, who married her in 2000. The minister also reiterated Pakistans pledge to hunt down the killers of the Saudi diplomat amid growing security concerns in the Kingdom. Asked how quickly Pakistan would nab the culprits involved in the murder of Sgt. Maj. Hassan Misfer Al-Qahtani, Awan said: Pakistani security agencies are making all out efforts to bring the perpetrators to book as quickly as possible. Awan, who held talks with Minister of Information and Culture Abdulaziz Al-Khoja, here in Riyadh Saturday, said: There seems to be involvement of foreign elements in the heinous crime, possibly with local support. But no foreign national has so far been detained. She pointed out that Islamabad had announced a reward of Rs5 million for anyone who can give a clue to solve the case. The minister said that such a cowardly act would not deter Riyadh and Islamabad from their policies of peace and brotherhood. Saudi Arabia has recalled families, nondiplomat staff and dependents from Karachi. Pakistan is considering a plan to establish a diplomatic enclave in Karachi like the one in Islamabad. She said some suspects had been arrested by security agencies, which are now investigating the case from different angles. Awan spoke on a range of topics, especially on Saudi-Pakistani ties, cooperation in the media sector and the role of the Kingdom and Pakistan within the framework of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). Ayaz Muhammad Khan, charge daffaires, along with several diplomats, were present. Awan also addressed a community meeting here attended by about 400 Pakistani expatriates, including professionals and businessmen. Awan was also received by Noura Al-Fayez, deputy minister for girls education. The Pakistani minister invited Al-Khoja to visit Pakistan at a convenient date. About her talks with Saudi officials, Awan said that the two sides had agreed on some important proposals, including the formation of a joint media commission. Such a commission would help to explore areas of cooperation in media. There was an agreement to establish contacts between Saudi and Pakistani media outlets to counter anti-Islamic propaganda, said the minister, suggesting that annual Haj pilgrimage should also be telecast in Urdu.
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