Davedurdans

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7432786.stm

He is one of the biggest names in Cricket and a national hero back home. If it is drugs will the authorities bang him up for 4 years too? OR will the Pakistani government step in?

Eeyore

Dubai could do without alienating the Pakistani government. I would imagine that some kind of deal will be done.

Inselaffen

Can't see why Dubai would care about what the Pakistani Government thinks.

Herbal medicine he no doubt used a Bong to smoke!!
bang him up!!

Eeyore

Pakistan is an Islamic state considered vital in the fight against terrorism, and of course there are all the Pakistani workers here. Dubai has more to lose than you might think if it chooses to upset the Pakistani government needlessly.

shakh your bootie

That, and while Dubai got oil, they got BASMATI RICE

Inselaffen

but if they imprison one of pakistan's best cricketers they'll get a discount on Indian Basmati Rice. and they have a lot more of it!

Eeyore

And nuclear weapons.

Inselaffen

Dubai has little or no influence on the Pakistan fight against terror. US fundingis the important factor there. And the Pakistan government would do nothing about Pakistani workers here because Pakistan is reliant on the money being sent back bythose workers. Pakistan needs Dubai a lot more than Dubai needs Pakistan.

Inselaffen

is Dubai trying to buy some?

Eeyore

I wasn't suggesting it did. What I meant was that Dubai, as a strongly pro-Western nation full of soft targets in the heart of the Muslim world, has its own vested interest in Pakistan getting a grip on its internal issues with fundamentalism. Where are many of the training camps, after all?

Beyond that, though, Dubai really doesn't need to be imprisoning a national Pakistani hero and global sports star. If he was just some labourer then obviously they'd leave him to rot in jail without a second thought, of course.

Davedurdans

Thing is............ if they have set a presedent for banging up anyone who flaunts their strict laws (even if they didnt mean to) then this guy should be another name added to the list. If they do cave in let him walk, then the rep they've built up as being strict and no taking any crap will be dented.

I personally think that if the pope came in with drugs he should be banged up. Status or no status he should go to prison and become bum meat for his sentence. You never know he might to a Tyson and come out still at a world class level.

W10

The key factor is the trade. UAE is currently trying to buy a lot of rice farms in Pakistan to ensure supply at a reasonable rate.

My guess is he will be found guilty, get four years and then get pardoned.

Inselaffen

All charges have been dropped and he has been released. So much for a hardline drug policy!

Eeyore

I guess they could just say that they had been "mistaken" and further tests had revealed that the substances were not illegal. That's always a handy face-saving way out.

Slingshot

did they give a reason at all?