GUJRANWALA, May 17: A Pakistani national, who has been settled in Madrid along with his family for the last 14 years, is being grilled by the police on suspicion of his links with Al-Qaeda.

“The Spanish government is reluctant to release him despite his exoneration by a court of law, linking his release to the clearance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” claims Ashaar Ali Cheema, a brother-in-law of suspect Pervez Mahmood Sindhu.

Ashaar said Sindhu, who hails form Mianwali Bangla, was engaged in a currency exchange business on a small scale in Madrid until a few months ago when the police arrested him. They trespassed on Sindhu’s house and took away 6,000 Euro, mobile phones and other valuables, and threatened his wife and child not to protest.

Appreciative of the government for contacting Spanish authorities, the suspect’s relative has appealed to the rights activists and Pakistan’s consulate in Madrid to help release Sindhu.

PO HELD: The Satellite Town police claimed on Saturday having arrested a proclaimed offender immediately after he extorted Rs200,000 from an industrialist.

The police said Naveed, a proclaimed offender, demanded Rs1 million as extortion money from industrialist M. Asghar but accepted Rs200,000 after a good deal of bargain.

The industrialist, however, informed the police who arrested the PO after an exchange of fire. The police recovered the cash and a pistol.