A major controversy has erupted over former Pakistan Cricket captain Javed Miandad being granted an Indian visa that will allow him to attend the final one-dayer of the ongoing limited-over cricket series between the two countries in New Delhi on January 6. On Thursday (January 3), the government defended the decision to issue the visa to Miandad, saying that he was not on India's "negative list". External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid added that the Home Ministry has followed "proper" procedures. "It is a decision taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the government. What are the circumstances, what is considered when an approval is given, what goes into it, is an internal government matter," Khurshid said. Due to Miandad's family ties with Dawood Ibrahim, India's most wanted terrorist, there had been reports before a series in 2005 that any requests for a visa by the batting great could be turned down by the Indian government. Miandad's son Junaid is married to Mahrukh, the daughter of Dawood, who is wanted in India in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case. The chorus is now growing to reject the visa to Miandad, and political parties are questioning the red carpet welcome to him.
In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists -- A S Dulat, Former RAW; Sanjay Jha, Co - founder, Humara Congress.com; Boria Majumdar, Sports Historian; V. Krishnaswamy, Senior Sports Writer & Commentator; K C Singh, Former Secy, MEA; Mahroof Raza, Strategic Affairs Analyst; Dr Kuresh Zorabi, Survivor, Nariman House -- discuss if the visa issued for Javed Miandad should include a clause that he should cooperate with Indian authorities on his relative Dawood.
