Dubai: Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif appeared before a public prosecutor in Dubai on Thursday and according to a media report was been formally charged with possession of contraband drugs.
Asif, who was detained at the Dubai airport five days ago, appeared before the prosecutor after the authorities received the laboratory analysis of the substance recovered from him. A decision on the case has been deferred till Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.
Pakistan's Geo Television channel quoted the public prosecutor as saying that the substance found with Asif was opium—0.24 gm of it—and the 25-year-old bowler has been formally charged with possession of drugs.
Asif was sent back to the detention centre after his statement was recorded.
Meanwhile, PCB's Chief Operating Officer Shafqat Naghmi told a press conference in Lahore that Asif's case would be reviewed again on Sunday.
He said Asif had told the board that authorities at the Dubai airport had recovered some medicines from him which were given to him by a Hakeem for his elbow injury and better health.
"That is what he has told us but we don't know the exact nature of this medicines he is talking about," Naghmi said.
The PCB official said he was not aware of the result of the laboratory analysis of the substance found from Asif.
"His medical reports have been received but we cannot disclose details about them because only our lawyer in Dubai knows what has come in them," Naghmi told reporters.
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"But now this issue has been deferred to Sunday and we are still trying our best to resolve this issue and get Asif back home," he said.
He also denied that the board was using government and diplomatic channels to get Asif released from detention.
"That is not correct. We have hired a law firm which is handling the issue. Our lawyer will meet with the prosecutor this evening for more details off the case," Naghmi said.
Asif was detained early Sunday morning at the Dubai airport while returning from India after the substance was found in his possession.
By Sunday, when the case is reviewed again, Asif would have completed seven days in detention and sources close to him said he was now starting to feel the pressure.
In the past several celebrity figures have been detained by airport authorities in Dubai for possession of small quantity of drugs. A few have been sentenced and served it while others have been sentenced but then pardoned and sent
back home.
Sources in the PCB said the officials were also counting that after a few days after making Asif realize his folly, the Dubai authorities will pardon him and deport him to home where he could face more problems from his own board.
Asif was detained early Sunday morning while returning from India after playing in the Indian Premier League.
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