11.   Jail warden Romeo Villanueva said he received a facsimile copy of the presidential release order and was awaiting the official copy before setting the inmates free.

12.   No release order had been issued, but the hostages were being gathered together in preparation, the sources said.

13.   On Wednesday, Ramos said there was no need to sign the release orders because prosecutors had withdrawn the two other charges against them.

14.   That could not be done until after the release order was finalized.

15.   He had won a release order from the high state security court mid-April, but was kept in jail on other charges linked to state security.

16.   A court has refused to issue a release order.

17.   But so far the authorities have not released Zardari, and jail officials said they had not received his release orders.

18.   But the military regime announced it would challenge the release order, the official news agency NAN reported.

19.   The Indian Express newspaper, however, said jail officials had raised technical objections in the release order and returned it to the court for clarification.