Pakistan to register case against The Sun ‘agent’
ISLAMABAD: Terming the news story of British tabloid The Sun about passport scandal a conspiracy to damage the country’s reputation, Minister for Interior Rehman Malik, on Saturday, said that a case would be registered against the tabloid’s agent Ali Asad for misstating the facts.
Addressing a press conference, Malik claimed that Asad had a Pakistani passport and was a dual national, but he had not stated this information in the declaration form filled to get British nationality. “He twisted the story to bring a bad name to Pakistan,” Malik alleged.
He added that he had ordered the Federal Investigation Agency DG to register a case against Asad, and asked the interior secretary to ensure Asad’s deportation from UK through Interpol.
Malik said investigations into the matter were almost complete which proved that NADRA and passport system were intact. He said Ali Asad had acquired a Pakistani passport in 2000 and went to the UK, where he got a British passport and dual nationality. He visited Pakistan on the British passport and visa and his movements were recorded during his visit to NADRA and the passport office, Malik added. Malik said Pakistan would ask the British government for Asad’s deportation to face criminal proceedings. He said they would first lodge a complaint to the National Press Trust of UK, which could also refer the case for libel proceedings. Facts gathered during the investigations had also been sent to the British newspaper through the Pakistan High Commission in London, Malik added.
Meanwhile, NADRA has requested the UK authorities to share Asad’s fingerprints regarding the Olympic visa scandal investigations.
It is pertinent to mention here that the British immigration authorities, earlier, rejected the FIA probe in the visa scandal, saying that The Sun’s reporter Ali Asad had successfully attained a fake passport in Pakistan to sneak into Britain along with the Pakistani Olympic squad. Malik said travel agent Abid Chaudhry was being interrogated by the FIA. On the probe into Mumbai attacks, Malik said India was being approached once again to allow judicial commission from Pakistan to visit the country to cross-examine four witnesses in connection with the attacks.
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