Zulqarnain reconsidering Pakistan return decision after getting threats on phone
April 21st, 2011 - 4:13 pm ICT by ANIIslamabad, April 21(ANI): Runaway former Pakistani wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haidar, who is currently living in the United Kingdom on a temporary visa, is reconsidering his plans to return to Pakistan after claiming that he received threatening telephone calls from there.
The now retired wicketkeeper had stunned one and all by fleeing the Pakistan team hotel in Dubai hours before the final one-day international against South Africa last year. After reaching London, he had claimed that he had got death threats from a person who wanted him to fix matches, and subsequently sought asylum in the United Kingdom.
Zulqarnain, however, voluntarily withdrew his application for asylum in Britain after the Pakistan government assured him and his family of “the highest level of security” in the country, and was supposed to return to Islamabad on April 25.
“I received assurances from [Interior Minister] Rehman Malik and also from the Pakistan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, regarding my safety on my return to Pakistan. They gave me their solemn word that my family and I would be safe in Pakistan and I would like to convey my gratitude to both of them and the Government of Pakistan for its assurances to me and my family,” PakPassion.net quoted Zulqarnain, as saying earlier this week.
But Zulqarnain told Geo TV on Thursday that he had been threatened on the telephone by an anonymous caller from Pakistan.
“You are coming back despite being told not to come, you are responsible for the consequences,” Zulqarnain quoted the anonymous caller, as warning him.
Zulqarnain has reportedly informed Scotland Yard about the calls, and is reconsidering his decision to leave for Pakistan on April 24, the Dawn reports. (ANI)
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Tags: anonymous caller, assurances, asylum, death threats, geo tv, government of pakistan, haidar, hasan, interior minister, pakistan government, pakistan high commissioner, pakistan team, rehman malik, scotland yard, shamsul, solemn word, team hotel, temporary visa, wajid, wicketkeeper