Shihab Chottur enters Pakistan to complete his journey on foot to Saudi Arabia for Hajj
Lahore, Feb 7: An Indian national, who was earlier denied a visa by a Pakistani court, entered the country on Tuesday to complete his marathon journey on foot to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.
Shihab Chottur, 29, arrived in Pakistan via the Wagah border and was welcomed by Sarwar Taj, who had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of Shihab, and Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Pakistan chairman Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi.
Qureshi told PTI that Shihab was very happy to get the visa to continue his journey to Mecca.
"He has brought a message of love, friendship and brotherhood," Qureshi said, adding he wanted to organise an event in Shihab's honour on the premises of Lahore High Court but could not do so because of security issues.
Shihab, who hails from Kerala, embarked on a 3,000-km journey on foot in October last year from his home state to the Wagah border where he was stopped by Pakistan's immigration authorities as he did not have a visa.
"Shihab pleaded before the immigration authorities that he was going to perform Hajj on foot and had already travelled 3,000 kms and should be allowed to enter the country on humanitarian grounds. He wanted a transit visa to reach Saudi Arabia via Iran," a Federal Investigation Agency official had said.
Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, considered the holiest city for Muslims.
Taj, a resident of Lahore, filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) requesting that Shihab be granted a transit visa to allow him to travel to Saudi Arabia.
He argued that just like the Pakistan government issues visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to take part in the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak and on other occasions, it should also grant a visa to Shihab.
The LHC dismissed his petition, observing that the "petitioner was not related to the Indian citizen, nor did he hold his power of attorney to approach the court."
Taj later challenged the decision in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
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Karnataka HC stays ED notice to Siddaramaiah's wife, Minister in MUDA land allotment scam
Bengaluru, Jan 27 (PTI): The Karnataka High Court on Monday stayed the notice issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi B M and the state Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh to appear for questioning in connection with the MUDA land allotment scam.
The ED has issued summons to Parvathi to appear before the investigation officer on Tuesday, while Suresh was asked to depose on Monday.
In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.
Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.
It is alleged Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.
The Lokayukta as well as the ED are probing the matter simultaneously.
