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Father of jailed

newsman appeals

for release of

foreigners

ISLAMABAD: The father of a Pakistani jailed in India appealed on Thursday for the release of four Westerners held in Kashmir by a shadowy militant group.

Allah Baksh Sabir told reporters at the U.S. embassy in Islamabad that his son Masood Azhar was on a list of people the Al-Faran group wanted released before freeing Britons Keith Mangan and Paul Wells, American Donald Hutchings and German Dirk Hasert.

The four have been held captive since July last year after being kidnapped while trekking in the Himalayan region.

Sabir, a former school teacher from Bahawalpur in Punjab province, said his son had been imprisoned in India since early 1994 for alleged involvement with Kashmiri rebels.

"I don't know what Al-Faran is or what it stands for," said Sabir, aged about 70. "My appeal to them is: don't use my son's name and don't make his release a condition. Please free the (Western) hostages. Islam doesn't permit these activities."

He said his son was a 28-year-old journalist who had travelled to India on a valid visa obtained in Portugal.-Reuter