Friday, July 27, 2007

Haneef charges dropped -- now, where's the apology?

And in yet another front-page-above-the-fold item on this white-hot news day, the charges against Dr Mohamed Haneef have, as predicted earlier, been dropped.

Heck, and it's still only 3.16 pm (CST). Who knows what could still happen before dark, eh?

3 comments:

Mindy said...

Doesn't look like they are going to deport him either, or you'd think they would have done it by now. Good result anyway.

Anonymous said...

Lord Downer of Baghdad doesn't think that Australia's relationship with India will be affected by all this, but perhaps that was before the Indian Prime Minister got involved:

Just in from the Hindustan Times, http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=bd7df186-50d0-4e3f-bccb-68a52d1e768c&&Headline=Send+Haneef+home+on+'regular+visa'%3a+India:

Send Haneef home on 'regular visa', India tells Australia

Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, July 27, 2007
India will request the Australian government to grant Mohammad Haneef a 'regular visa' after the Indian doctor was on Friday cleared of all charges of supporting those involved in the failed British bombings.

"The Indian High Commission in Canberra has been instructed to support Haneef to get a visa. The high commission will also approach the Australian government for a regular visa," said Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed.

"We are happy that an Indian citizen has been absolved of charges of supporting terrorism. The government has been extending all possible support to him," Ahamed told IANS.

According to the minister, if Haneef is deported he will be unable to go back to Australia. So he would like to come back home on a regular visa.

Amid concern over Haneef being charged on flimsy grounds, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stated that the Australian government should give him all the facilities under the law and the rights he was entitled to.

lucy tartan said...

I've got people coming from India for the Austen conference. Can't imagine what's been going through their minds - well, I can actually, but it's too shameful to contemplate in much detail.