Pakistani Relatives of Terrorist-linked Miami Imam Claim He's Innocent

​The indictment that lead to the arrests of Hafiz Muhammed Sher Ali Khan, the Imam of a Miami mosque, and his two sons for allegedly providing material support to the Pakistani Taliban also named three other suspects that are believed to be at large in Pakistan. Amini Khan, Khan's daughter who is also known as Amini Bibi, was named as a suspect, and while she has so far evaded arrest, she's certainly not hiding from the local press. She claims that none of the defendants had ties to the Taliban and that the money Khan sent to Pakistan was meant to help his son-in-law establish a business.

The report comes from the Urdu-language daily Roznama Jang, and was noted by the Middle East Media Research Institute. An English-language version of the report can be found at The International News.

Amini claims that her father and the brothers arrested this weekend had no links to the Taliban. The report mentions that one of Khan's other sons, Ikramul Haq, was a commander in the Taliban in the Swat region of Pakistan and has evaded arrest since being connected to a raid on a military unit that left 8 soldiers dead (the report does not clarify, but it's possible the attack was against the Pakistani military).

Though, Amini claims no one else in the family has terrorist links. She said the $45,000 that Khan allegedly sent to fund the Taliban was actually meant to help support his family in Pakistan, specifically to help his son-in-law start a business.

Khan is also alleged to have helped establish an Islamic school in the Swat region that provided safe haven to Taliban fighters. Amini claims that the school educated children, including girls, about the Koran. Taliban forces in the area have tried to forbid girls from attending school.

She says the school was registered with the government and has no ties to the Taliban.

She says her son, Alam Zeb, who is also charged in the indictment, is studying at college and has no ties to terrorism.

Though, in the indictment the U.S. Department of Justice claims that they have tapes in which Khan is heard calling for the overthrow of the Pakistani government and the death of more American soldiers.

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