Pakistani in Belgium labelled 'terrorist' for carrying cricket bat
Assim Abassi, a cricket player from Pakistan, made newspaper headlines, warning that an “anti-Semitic” killer was on the loose in Brussels. The newspapers also published Abassi's photographs carrying what looked like a rifle but was actually his cricket bat.
Soon after spotting himself in the media, Abbasi contacted the police clarifying that he was not armed and was only carrying his cricket bat while on his way for a practice session.
“I wrapped my bat in my sweatshirt because it was raining and if it is wet I can’t play the ball properly,” he said.
Despite contacting the police, the family of seven has lost its right to live in Belgium after the Pakistani embassy in Brussels sacked his father, a diplomat, for damaging Pakistan’s reputation.
“We got a call from the embassy saying give us your passports,” his father said.
“We’ve lost the privilege of living in Belgium. I’ve lost my education. I’ve lost everything.”
The Belgian police have been criticised for failing to apologise to the cricket player and local MPs have taken up his case. However, the Pakistani embassy has refused to comment.
Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam clarified his father was not sacked and it was a routine transfer matter.
“Muhammad Tufail Abbasi, stenotypist in the commercial section in the Embassy of Pakistan, Brussels, has been transferred back to the headquarters by the Ministry of Commerce on completion of his four year tenure,” the Foreign Office statement said.
COMMENTS (29)
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Pakistan should sack all it staff and particularly 1st, 2nd and third secretary including Ambassador, what a joke instead of Embassy making Belgium apologise they giving impression as their citizen are cattle. i cannot believe but i foresee that sooner or later this trend on Muslims will grow as planned and i feel ashamed. Shame on Pakistani Govt, so as the foreign office who did not summon belgium ambassador in Islamabad.
@kafirmusafir: yeah I see the pattern , it's called Indian obsession with pakistan. The topic has nothing to do with India and some how here you are with your usual crying. Look at me look at me Iam an Indian victim.
His father has ended his tenure and heading back. There is no fault of the Embassy. People should realize the facts before jumping the bandwagon. The incident and his return have coincided.
Again I would say - you need people with intellect and some brains to be running the affairs of the Nation - a small matter completely blown out of proportion needed to be dealt with some tact rather than pleasing the foreign media and taking a stupid step of calling the entire family back and making them suffer for nothing and making a fool of the Nation as well!!!
This sacking of the pakistani diplomat is unfortunate. There are many cricket clubs in Belgium. and presence of diamond business dealers from India, sub continent, Many persons could have come forward to defend the person. I personally know diamond dealers who are dealing with europeans, and take lunch in desi hotels in Brussels, There is something more than this.
It is again proved that Pakistani Gvt is responsible for the problems Pakistanis facing across the world and even in Pakistan.
Its not a conspiracy to malign Pakistan.
You should learn some lessons from other countries like India's example how it handled Devyani Korbgade's incident.
family of seven???? How is that possible
This is really bad. They should conduct a complete inquiry regarding this matter before imposing any decision.
The news initially gives the impression that Belgium govt expelled the cricketer for carrying his bat. Abbasi family can still continue to live in Belgium but it is Pakistani embassy and govt which transferred his job and that ended the family's legal status in the country. They were temp workers anyway and had to leave one day or the other.
@Fawad:
Are they defending the people living in Paksitan..
@observer: how about if it was an indoor practice session.
Embassy didn't do anything wrong. The boy's father had completed his tenure, therefore he was transferred. Belgium government also didn't do anything contrary to law. Nobody was arrested, nor charged anyone. Family is using a media report to stay in Belgium. Though it was media's aggressive news reporting but considering situation, the boy's style and hidden bat which looked like a gun were the reasons media freaked out.
Take it easy Pakistanis.
It's perfectly possible that he was carrying something else and he had lied that he was only carrying a cricket bat.
@Zara: Is the attitude of Pakistan with regards Pakistani citizens not too dissimilar than abandoning 90,000+ soldiers in 1971 in East Pakistan, or in Kargil in 1999, or denying 26/11 rampage in Mumbai. Do you not see a pattern?
@Chachoo: What Belgium is doing is certainly not out of ignorance. They know what they are doing. It has some connection with Asia Bibi and the Christian couple burned alive in the brick kiln.
I am sure there is more than what meets the eye in this case. Belgium is not going to deport anyone for carrying a cricket bat. Also, Pak embassy is not going to act against someone without proper cause. Apparently, the Belgian police must have done surveillance on this guy for a while and determined that he is a terror sympathizer or collaborator. One question, why was this guy trying to play cricket in the rain?
if they say he was transferred back to Pakistan after serving his 4 year tenure whats all the ruckus about? I see the media making a mountain out of nothing. Belgium should apologize and the stenotypist should come back to Pakistan and report for duty.
Just dismiss the senior staff of Belgium embassy and also expel Belgium envoy back home for a few days. This was a purely racist incident where A Pakistani guy was in the headlines without proper investigations. It was not only the Belgium media but the Racist French media picked up that news as well. French media is very much Anti-Pakistani and everyone knows that very well. Pakistan should launch the strongest possible protest against such issues as Europe call themselves civilized but call us Third class Third World Citizens and look how they treat the people out of ignorance.
Its not the Belgium police but the Belgium media that has to apologise for printing fabricated masala news. And the pakistan embassy who took back his passport even after learning the news was fake, because good or bad you put country's name in spotlight and disrepute. The guy must file defamation case, monetary loss,mental hassasment case against Belgium media and pak embassy.
If it was Israel or American citizen carrying a bat and was called terrorist, imagine their embassy would have shake the parliament of Belgium. Guilt of Belgium and Pakistani boy suffered. Real shame goes to Pakistan Embassy in Belgium, seems incompetent peoples are working their.
Pakistani government has never defended any Pakistani abroad. It seems that all Pakistani's living outside Pakistan are orphans.
Shame on Pakistan's foreign office for being apologetic as usual. Instead of supporting the Pakistani cricketer and demanding an apology from the Belgian Govt., it has instead sacked his father and punished the entire family for no fault of theirs. When our own Govt and foreign office will behave spinelessly and readily go down on its knees, foreign governments will naturally trample and walk all over us. When will we learn to respect ourselves first.
Simply mind boggling.. and they call themselve civilized nations..!
If anything, the Pakistani embassy in Brussels has "tarnished" Pakistan's reputation by not defending their own citizens. Shame on them. If the boy has done no wrong, the embassy should have backed him up instead of sacking his father. They just showed the world that Pakistani's treat their citizens like scum and that only makes it all right for other countries to do the same. Until the government does not take a stand and refuse to be bullied by foreign bodies in this manner, nothing will improve the image of our citizens.
All the staff in Pakistan Embassy including His Excellency the Ambassador must be sacked instead for not PROTECTING an an innocent Pakistani - which I thought was a primary responsibility i.e. providing cousular services? Tell me I am being harsh?
Useless staff!
The villian seems to be the Pak embassy . is this how they treat their honest employees. Its understandable that some one misunderstood this boy and his bat but then it should be investigated before passing judgements . So many years of hard work of the boy's father down the drain .
Just bewildered.
How sick - the Pk Embassy should be looking after the interests of its subjects, not mortifying them. Shame on these so called diplomat nincompoops who have no clue as to what bringing shame on the country's reputation signifies. Hopefully the Belgian local authorities will do them justice. All my sympathy for Assim Abassi and his family.
Pakistani embassy are spineless idiots and the Belgium authorities even bigger fools.
The media did its job. Hype and not facts matter in the world of media when they report on Pakistanis.
Have these fools never seen a cricket bat before. Somebody tell them there are other games in the world then kicking a round leather ball around in a field.
Get real Belgium give the kid his life back.