Congress MP speaks for 'hurt' India, says Javed Miandad not welcome here for Dawood Ibrahim terror link

A lawmaker of the Congress Party on Thursday said he was not in favour of former Pakistan cricket skipper Javed Miandad being given a visa to visit India for the ongoing one-day match series, saying it will hurt the sentiments of the people of the country for he shares close family ties with India's most wanted gangster-turned-terrorist Dawood Ibrahim.

Congress Member of Parliament Jagdambika Pal said Dawood Ibrahim is considered to be the mastermind of all terrorist attacks in India.

"He is the most wanted not only for India, but the entire world. And issuing a visa to his relative is not at all correct. We are still demanding Dawood Ibrahim from Pakistan, but they said that he is not in their country. And if a visa is issued to his relative, then it will hurt the sentiments of the people here (in India)," he added.

Miandad would arrive in India on January 5 to watch the third and final ODI between the two Asian neighbours in New Delhi the next day. Miandad, who is now a senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official, would also be honoured during that match.

Miandad's son Junaid Miandad is married to Dawood's daughter Mahrukh Ibrahim.

Dawood is still wanted in India in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case. He was charged by India for masterminding the 1993 serials blasts in Mumbai that claimed around 260 lives.

Govt defends decision to issue visa to Miandad

The Government today defended the decision to issue visa to Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad saying he was not on India's "negative list".

"He is a well known cricketer. His visa application papers were in order and valid and that is why the government has decided to give him visa," Minister of State for Home R P N Singh told reporters here.

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