Zulqarnain Haider returns home

Zulqarnain Haider has returned home from Britain on Monday, witnesses said, after receiving government assurances about the safety of his family.
Haider, who turned 25 on Saturday, fled the Pakistan team’s hotel in Dubai on November 8 for the United Kingdom after saying he had received demands that he fix a one-day match against South Africa under the threat of death.
Haider arrived by plane in Islamabad on Monday and was escorted by security officials to Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s office where he was to meet the minister, who had guaranteed his safety, officials said.
Wearing a casual shirt and jeans, Haider was whisked away by security officials to avoid a scrum at the airport, witnesses said.
Haider also met his wife, daughters and brother at the airport, they said. He was expected to speak to the media later Monday.
The wicketkeeper was part of the Pakistan team in the series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates when he went missing on the day of the fifth and final one-day match on November 8.
He fled to London and announced his retirement from international cricket. A week later he applied for asylum there.
Last week Haider met Malik and, after receiving promises of safety for himself and his family, agreed to return home. He said he had also decided to withdraw his asylum request.
After his disappearance the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) terminated his contract and formed a committee to establish the facts surrounding the dramatic departure.
But the three-member committee said there were no clear motives behind his disappearance and also declared him “mentally ill”.
After meeting Malik last week, Haider also said he would return to cricket.
“Since I have been given full assurances of safety, I have no reason to continue with my asylum application and after returning home I want to resume my cricket career,” he said.
Haider played one Test, against England at Birmingham last year, as well as four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals in a short career.
On his Facebook page Haider had also promised to name Pakistani players involved in match-fixing, but he never supplied the names.
British media reported that Haider was questioned by the ACSU in London last year but that the unit did not find anything substantive to back up his allegations.
Pakistani cricket was rocked by a corruption scandal last year when key players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were accused of spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test against England in August.
The three players were handed lengthy bans by the ICC in February this year.