The former Pakistan cricket team captain, Javed Miandad, has cancelled his visit to Delhi to watch the last one-day match in the ongoing series on Sunday. The issue of granting visa to him was mired in controversy as he has family ties with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, one of India’s most wanted terrorists.
Though agency reports from Pakistan said the visit was cancelled as the Pakistan Cricket Board did not want any controversy affect the cricketing ties and wanted to avoid focus shifting away from cricket to other matters, sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said security reasons might have forced him to change his mind.
Asked about the controversy, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said he had no idea. “I have not given a visa. It is my officer who has given or my mission [in Pakistan] must have given.”
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The BJP and the Shiv Sena have criticised the government for allowing Mr. Miandad’s visit.
His son, Junaid, is married to Dawood’s daughter Mahrukh.