The wife of Mohammed Haneef, detained in Brisbane on charges of supporting a terrorist group, on Sunday said she did not favour the deportation of her husband from Australia and wanted him to be cleared of all charges.
"I maintain I don't want him to be deported. I want him to be cleared of all the charges. He has to come out clean," Firdous Arshiya told PTI, reacting to reports that Australian authorities are planning to deport the Indian doctor to contain the adverse political fallout of his detention in that country.
According to reports from Melbourne, the Australian government is considering Haneef's deportation after coming under fire over the handling of his case. Australian newspapers, quoting unnamed sources, said a number of political figures wanted the case against Haneef "shut down" before more damage is done.
Firdous said Haneef's cousin Imran Siddiqi, who is now in Australia to assist her husband and his lawyer, would meet the Indian High Commissioner on Monday.
"Maybe he will also get in touch with Haneef," she said.
Firdous said she had not spoken to Haneef recently.