Reportedly the development came hours after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) “condemned” the way pakistan feted controversial preacher, who is on a month-long visit to the country. “We have seen reports that he (Zakir Naik) has been feted in Pakistan. He has been warmly welcomed there,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
Perhaps “It is not surprising for us that an indian fugitive has received a high level welcome in Pakistan. It is something which is disappointing and condemnable but at the same time it is not surprising,” he added. To a question on Naik’s passport, jaiswal said india was not clear on what passport Naik travelled to Pakistan. The Islamic preacher is wanted by the indian authorities in several cases linked with alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches.
Furthermore since 2016, Naik has been residing in malaysia following the initiation of legal proceedings against him. This action stemmed from the July 2016 Dhaka terror attack, where one of the perpetrators confessed to being influenced by Naik’s sermons on his YouTube channel. india has sought Naik’s extradition to face charges, but malaysia has yet to comply with this request.
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