Zulqarnain Haider awaits the fate for his asylum plea
Pakistan’s former wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider will know the fate of his asylum application from the authorities in United Kingdom on Friday, 10th December 2010.
Reports suggested that the authorities in UK had contacted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as well as the UK High Commission in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 regarding the issue.
The authorities have collected the required information about Zulqarnain’s immediate family as well his background. It is rumoured that the authorities also collected records from the PCB regarding his claims of threatening calls to his family.
An anonymous source claimed that the run-away wicketkeeper has also contacted the law firm that was representing him in the UK and requested them to represent him in the hearing of his asylum application.
However, the above statement clashes with the lawyers’ claims that the former wicketkeeper is untraceable as they formally announced on Tuesday that they will not be representing him as he has not shown up at meetings that were conducted to discuss his case.
One of the lawyers representing the firm, Natasha Malik said that the firm had made the decision due to the refugee wicketkeeper’s behaviour towards the sensitive case.
“We have tried unsuccessfully to get in touch with him for the past few days, left he messages and so on and yet he has not contacted us at all.”
Zulqarnain went missing from his hotel room in Dubai where Pakistan was due to play their fifth One Day against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 on November 8th. He left a vague message on his official Facebook page saying he got threats for not fixing a match due
to which he is leaving cricket. Amidst confusion and chaos, he resurfaced the same day at Heathrow Airport, London. He persistently asked security for his family in Pakistan and announced his retirement from International cricket. Although he repeatedly denied
that he did not only come to England to seek asylum but that he felt secure in this part of the world.
The drama continued with Zulqarnain’s wife saying that she and their two young children have been receiving death threats since her husband messaged on his Facebook page that he would expose those involved in corrupting Pakistan cricket.
The officials at London’s Home Department declined to comment on the application status but confirmed it was “under process.”
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