House of Lords rules deportation of Muslim cleric

LONDON, OCT. 11. In a major blow to Pak-sponsored militancy in Kashmir, the House of Lords today ruled that a Muslim cleric, Shafiq Ur Rehman, who sponsored and supported terrorism in Kashmir, be deported to Pakistan.

Delivering the verdict, Law Lord Hoffman said his judgment had been written three months before the U.S. attacks. ``They are a reminder that in matters of national security, the cost of failure can be high.''

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission which first heard his case said he was not a threat to the British national security.

The decision is a victory for the then Home Secretary, Mr. Jack Straw, who ordered in 1997 that Rehman, who was working as an Imam in one of Oldham's mosques, be deported on the grounds that he was a threat to national security.

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : We will win snap poll: UNP