SARGODHA, Pakistan - An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan again failed Wednesday to frame charges against five young Americans accused of plotting attacks with Al-Qaeda-linked groups, lawyers said.

The US citizens facing trial in the eastern city of Sargodha were arrested in December 2009. Judge Anwar Nazeer has rejected a plea by defence lawyers for them to be released on bail because of lack of evidence.

The judge has adjourned the hearing until March 17, public prosecutor, Naveed Akram Cheema said.

"Charges could not be framed against the accused today, because some documents were needed which were not annexed with the charge sheet filed by the police earlier," he said.

The court at its previous hearing had delayed the indictment to March 10.

"We requested the court that we want to attach these documents and the court has fixed March 17 for the next hearing," Cheema said.

The judge decided Wednesday to transfer the hearing from an anti-terrorism court to Sargodha district jail for security fears, lawyers told reporters.

The proceedings were held amid tight security and reporters were not allowed inside the prison where the accused have been languishing.

The men, aged between 18 and 25, face life imprisonment if found guilty.

A Pakistani court has also barred their deportation to the United States, where they all lived before travelling to Pakistan last year.

The men have claimed to have been tortured in custody but prison officials have denied the accusations.

A US diplomat visited the court before the trial began and left before the hearing started, making no comment to reporters.

Pakistani officials say the men planned to travel to Afghanistan to fight with the Taliban against US troops. They have denied links to Al-Qaeda and said they wanted to go to Afghanistan for charity work.

Pakistan is under US pressure to do more to eliminate Islamist networks that have carved out training grounds and havens in the country's northwest to plot attacks against Western troops fighting in Afghanistan.