By IANS,
Islamabad : The Senate Standing Committee on sports has Pakistan government’s help in securing the release of detained pace bowler Mohammad Asif, who is in custody in Dubai for alleged possession of contraband substance.
The committee has sought the intervention of President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in ending Asif’s more than 15-days’ ordeal in Dubai.
The committee, which met on Wednesday at the Senate Secretariat and was chaired by Senator Zafar Iqbal Chaudhary, hoped that the government and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would make all possible efforts for an early release of the bowler, according to a report in the daily Dawn.
“Mohammad Asif is a superstar and we should not leave him alone over there. We should not spare any effort to bring him back. We request the president and the premier to intervene in the matter and bring back the superstar,” Senator Chaudhary said.
The committee as also advised the PCB chairman to settle the issue as early as possible. “The board should also talk to Pakistan President, who is the patron of the board, to do something in this regard.”
PCB’s chairman Nasim Ashraf said the board will probe the issue, if the fast bowler is found guilty in the UAE.
Meanwhile, International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was monitoring Asif’s issue closely and the embattled bowler would be liable to penalties under the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) rules once he is released from detention.
ICC’s acting chief executive Dave Richardson said the governing body fo world cricket has asked the PCB to keep it updated on the Asif issue.
“As far as we know he has not been charged as yet. But since the ICC is a signatory to WADA regulations, he is liable to penalties under WADA code of conduct if he is charged,” Richardson said.
Asif has been in detention in Dubai since June 1.