Haneef like incidents are unavoidable: Pranab

A day after charges were dropped against Indian-born doctor Mohamed Haneef, who was in police custody for over 20 days in connection with failed UK-terror plot, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said today that such incidents are unavoidable as a number of people are involved in terrorist activities.

By Pankaj Chaudhary

Thimpu, July 28 : A day after charges were dropped against Indian-born doctor Mohamed Haneef, who was in police custody for over 20 days in connection with failed UK-terror plot, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said today that such incidents are unavoidable as a number of people are involved in terrorist activities.

Mukherjee said this in reply to a question in Bhutan, where he had gone to sign a pact on a hydroelectric power project.

Asked whether the External Affairs Ministry would ensure that another Haneef like incident does not occur in future, he said: "How could you avoid this situation, when fact of the matter is that a number of people are involved in these terrorist activities. Nobody can deny this."

He further said, "But surely, any particular religion or particular community should not be identified with terrorist activities."

Indicating to a spurt of violent activities in Pakistan in the post Lal Masjid incident and the failed London and Glasgow terror plots, Mukherjee said: "Nobody can deny the fact that terrorist activities are taking place."

Expressing happiness over charges being dropped against Haneef, Mukherjee said, "We are glad that charges against Haneef have been dropped. It proves that he is not involved with the terrorist activities."

Mukherjee was hopeful that the Australian authority would restore Haneef's visa on him and would allow him to transact former business, adding that "Haneef should be taken back to his hospital duty without any delay".

Haneef, who was released from a Brisbane jail into residential detention last night, hours after a charge against him of providing support to a terrorist organisation was dropped, will fly out of Australia tonight after Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews gave him the green light to do so.

However, Haneef's fight to have the Australian work visa continues.

ANI