Solicitors fighting for the release of a British man thought to have been held in Pakistan for more than a month, on suspicion of having links to al Qaida, yesterday hailed a breakthrough in his case.
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OBJECT ID=11570367, method=default | The legal team representing Tariq Mahmood, from Birmingham, said Pakistans home secretary had been ordered to appear in court next Monday either accompanied by the 30-year-old or with an explanation about what has happened to him. Mr Mahmoods case has been shrouded in mystery, with one Pakistani ministry denying any knowledge of the case while another confirming in media reports that he was being detained. The married father-of-two was arrested on October 4, but his family have been unable to make contact with him and fear he may have been taken to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to join hundreds of other terrorist suspects. The British Foreign Office must await official confirmation of his arrest from Pakistan before it can arrange for consular access. Mr Mahmoods brother, Tahir, said: We hope and pray that he is produced in court on Monday. We do not even want to think what may be happening to him. This is a terrible ordeal for us. Natalia Garcia, the familys solicitor in Birmingham, said: We feel this is a very significant breakthrough. The fact that a judge has ordered the home secretary to appear in court reflects the concern in Pakistan about what has happened to Tariq. Mr Mahmood had been in Pakistan for the past two years, trying to settle a long-standing family land dispute. His wife and children have since returned to their home in Sparkhill, Birmingham. Earlier this week, the Foreign Office said although media reports had quoted the Pakistani Ministry of Interior confirming Mr Mahmood was being held, it was unable to take action until confirmation was provided by the countrys Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A Foreign Office spokeswoman admitted the situation was all a bit confusing. We are awaiting a written reply from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Until we get that formal notification we wont be able to press for access. | 
