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Margashirsha Krushnapaksha 7,Kaliyug Varsha 5114

Javed Miandad, former captain of the Pakistan cricket team has been granted an Indian visa to attend the final ODI between the arch-rivals on January 6 despite his controversial family ties to Dawood Ibrahim, India’s and the world’s most wanted terrorist and the key accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Miandad’s son, Junaid married Mahrukh, Ibrahim’s daughter in 2005. His links to the underworld gangster, however, did not pose a hurdle in his obtaining a visa for the India-Pakistan one day series.

Prior to a cricket series in 2005, authorities had said that visa requests by Miandad could be quashed by the Indian Government.

Miandad’s visa controversy has sparked debate over the loopholes in the Indian visa guidelines that permit individuals to visit the country regardless of their connection to terrorists or militant organisations, especially those based in Pakistan.

Individuals with connections to terrorist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, once allowed in the country, could be instrumental in carrying out terrorist operations on Indian soil.

In the past, a similar callous attitude of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Union Home Ministry has had disastrous consequences. The Indian Consulate in Chicago had issued multiple entry visas to David Headley aka Daood Sayed Gilani and Tahawwur Rana, both of Pakistani origin and key members of the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba.

Headley, whose travel plans were facilitated by the multiple entry visa, subsequently helped the LeT plan and execute the ghastly 26/11 attacks on high profile targets in Mumbai.

The Home Ministry however, denied flouting any rules, saying Miandad wasn’t granted an individual visa. The Ministry also added that his visa was approved based on the guidelines given to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

“Individual visas are not being given. The Home Ministry has given guidelines to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to give visas to the team members, coaches, PCB officials and visitors who have tickets for the matches as well as return tickets,” an official said in Delhi.

Miandad played down his links to the underworld don.

“Why should anybody be bothered about me in India with regard to Dawood Ibrahim? His family members are there and they should be quizzed first,” he said.

“My visa and tickets are ready and I shall be in Delhi for the third ODI match scheduled for Jan 6. I faced absolutely no problem in getting the Indian visa and am quite excited about travelling to Delhi for the game,” he added.

The relative ease, with which Miandad was granted a visa, has highlighted the need for revisiting India’s visa guidelines.

Union External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid defended the Home Ministry’s grant for Miandad’s visa.

“No Pakistani visa gets cleared without MHA clearance. Inputs from all agencies are taken into consideration. It is an internal procedure. Proper procedures have been gone through,” Khurshid said.

Earlier in the day, Opposition BJP and the Shiv Sena had lambasted the Government’s decision to grant an Indian visa to the former cricketer, citing his family links to Dawood Ibrahim.