Mumbai: Two Pakistanis, who served eight
years in prison for aiding a bank robbery to fund the 1999
Kandahar hijack of an Indian Airlines flight, will finally be
deported on Wednes, two-and-a-half-years after being set free.
Haji Iqbal and Mohammed Asif could not be sent back to
Pakistan earlier because of delay in completing the complex
formalities.
The duo was taken to Wagah border by a police team from
Mumbai last Thursday and would be deported to Pakistan
tomorrow after completing the formalities, police sources said
today.
After their release from Nashik Jail in February 2008,
Iqbal and Asif were staying at Borivli police station as they
were not be allowed to live at a place of their choice given
their record and the pending deportation exercise.
The Bombay High Court had ordered their deportation in
2008, but delays by the Pakistani High Commission in
completing the formalities led to their prolonged stay at the
police station, Senior Police Inspector at Borivli Bhagwan
Chate said.
"After procuring a government order, a police team
accompanying the duo left the city for Amritsar on August 12
and they have now reached Wagah border from where both would
be deported to Pakistan tomorrow," he said.
According to police, Iqbal and Asif were convicted of
looting a bank in Borivli and transferring the funds to the
masterminds of the hijack.
The Crime Branch had arrested them with three others on
the basis of telephone intercepts involving one of the accused
and the hijackers.
During their questioning, it was discovered that the
two had helped three others to rob Rs 7.35 lakh from
Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank branch in Borivli, Chate
said.
Iqbal and Asif had been sentenced to eight years`
imprisonment after they pleaded guilty before the court last
year. However, since they had already served the sentence
during the trial, they were ordered to be released and
deported to Pakistan.
Indian Airlines` flight IC 814 to Delhi from Kathmandu
with 174 passengers and 11 crew was hijacked by Pakistani
militants on December 24, 1999 and taken to Kandahar.
The hostage drama had lasted for seven days and ended
with the release of three militants including Maulana Masood
Azhar, founder of Jaish-e-Mohammed.
PTI
