Jamaat ameer clarifies Reuters interview on meeting Indian diplomats
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has clarified his position regarding references to a meeting with Indian diplomats that appeared in a recent interview he gave to the UK-based international news agency Reuters.
In a Facebook post this morning, he criticised several media reports claiming that he held a "secret" meeting with Indian officials, calling such reports misleading and baseless.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. In an interview with Reuters, a journalist asked him whether he had any communication, discussions or meetings with India, given that it is a neighbouring country.
Responding to the question, the Jamaat ameer said that after falling ill around the middle of last year and returning home following medical treatment, many people from home and abroad came to visit him.
"Just as diplomats from other countries came to see me, two Indian diplomats also visited my residence at that time. I spoke with them as I did with others," he said.
He added that during discussions with visiting diplomats, they had informed all concerned that such visits would be disclosed publicly.
"We told them that all diplomatic visits had been publicised, and we wanted to publicise your visit as well," he said, adding that the Indian diplomats requested that the visit not be made public.
The Jamaat ameer said he had made it clear that any future meetings involving bilateral interests between the two countries would be made public.
"There is nothing secretive about this," he said.
Expressing surprise, he said some local media outlets had reported that the Jamaat ameer held a "secret" meeting with India.
"I strongly condemn such reports," he said, urging journalists to refrain from publishing misleading news without verifying facts in the future.
According to a Reuters report, Shafiqur confirmed that he met an Indian diplomat earlier this year following his bypass surgery.
"Unlike diplomats from other countries who made open courtesy visits to him, the Indian official asked that the meeting remain confidential," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.
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