Wife wants Haneef back, with honour

Haneef's wife is certain that her husband will be absolved of all charges against him, reports BR Srikanth.

The Australian government's decision to deport Dr Mohammed Haneef after a trial was welcomed by his wife, Firdous Arshiya, who is certain that the doctor will walk free and be absolved of all charges against him. "We will face the trial, win the case and come back," Arshiya said on Tuesday, while swearing never to live in "that country (Australia) again".

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Talking to the media outside her father's home in Bangalore, she said, "I want my husband back, but I do not want him back this way. They (the Australian Federal Police) still hold charges (of supporting terrorism) against him. I want him back with all the respect and honour he had before he left India. The Union Government has to put more pressure. If he is brought back with the charges, it will be a disgrace both for him and the country."

Reiterating that Haneef was innocent, she said, "He has to be cleared of the charges. Otherwise, Indians in Australia will be seen with suspicion." She added that she could not get through to either Haneef or his lawyer in Australia on Tuesday.

Arshiya has appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister AK Antony to step in and secure Haneef's release on the grounds that "the charge itself is baseless" and that an "Indian citizen who is being harassed should be helped to walk out of detention".