2001 Debriefing and Detention
Mahmood was arrested at his residence in Lahore in the middle of the night of 19 October 2001 by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency because of his suspected connections with the Taliban. George Tenet, then-Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), later described intelligence reports of his meeting with Al Qaeda as “frustratingly vague.” He, however, told the FIA intelligence officials in very clear terms that he had nothing to do with the Al-Qaeda or any other terrorist organisation and he was only working on humanitarian issues like food, health and education. Although he was considered innocent and released on 22 December 2001, he was declared a terrorist by U.S. President George W. Bush in his televised address on 23 December 2001. Despite clear indications from CIA that he is not involved with any terrorist outfit.
During his debriefing, his son Dr. Asim Mahmood, who's a family medicine doctor told ISI officials that: My father did meet with Osama bin Laden and Osama Bin Laden seemed interested in that matter but my father only showed mild interest in the matter as he met him for food, water matter issues that he was sent there for official work.
Due to an immense public pressure from the Pakistani civil society, he was placed under house arrest in late December 2001 and has been closely monitored by the Government of Pakistan and Pakistani federal agencies. In late 2001, his family said that, he has been released from the intelligence agencies and placed into house arrest and is still not allowed to meet anyone. In 2006, Mahmood suffered a heart attack and underwent angioplasty in Islamabad. Pakistan's Government has placed him on the "Exit Control List (ECL)" in which he is not allowed to travel out of Pakistan and since his release, Mehmood has been out of the public eye and lives a very quiet life in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Dr. Bashir Syed, former president of the Association of Pakistani Scientists and Engineers of North America (APSENA), said: "I know both of these persons and can tell you there is not an iota of truth that both these respected scientists and friends will do anything to harm the interest of their own country."
Read more about this topic: Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood
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“I would like you to understand completely, also emotionally, that I’m a political detainee and will be a political prisoner, that I have nothing now or in the future to be ashamed of in this situation. That, at bottom, I myself have in a certain sense asked for this detention and this sentence, because I’ve always refused to change my opinion, for which I would be willing to give my life and not just remain in prison. That therefore I can only be tranquil and content with myself.”
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