Saifullah Paracha: Pakistani who spent 18 years in US jail returns home

Saifullah Paracha, a Pakistani national who was detained in the US military prison at its Guantanamo Bay Naval Base for nearly two decades has returned home after his release, the Foreign Office confirmed Saturday.

Paracha, who was said to be the oldest prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, has now reached Pakistan after spending the last 18 years in detention.

"We are glad that a Pakistani citizen detained abroad has finally reunited with his family," a handout issued by the foreign ministry said.

The ministry completed an extensive inter-agency process for the repatriation of Paracha, the statement read.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto also announced the news on Twitter.

Paracha was held in Bangkok in 2003 on suspicions of being in touch with al Qaeda. Before he was sent to Guantanamo Bay, he was taken to Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. The allegations against Paracha were never proven.

The 75-year-old Karachi-based businessman lived in the US and was accused of facilitating al-Qaeda and aiding the 9/11 mission financially.

Paracha's son, who was also arrested by US agencies for allegedly helping suspected militants enter the country, was released in 2020 after which the US government approved Paracha's release in 2021.

His son, who was a graduate of the Institute of Business Administration, returned to Pakistan in 2021. He was sentenced to 30 years in jail in 2005 and the conviction was overturned in 2018.

Paracha was picked up by the FBI at Bangkok airport where he had gone to meet an American business partner. He was also accused of smuggling explosives into the US.