LAHORE, Jan 2: The jeweller who had claimed the other day that one of the five photos of suspected terrorists issued by the FBI was his, said on Thursday he was ready to cooperate with any agency that might want to question him.
One of his relatives quoted a news channel as saying that the FBI planned to interrogate him. “We don’t have anything to hide and would welcome anybody wanting to question us,” he said while talking to Dawn.
“I just want it to end,” said Mohammad Asghar, 34, who had been shocked to see his picture among those of five foreigners who, the FBI claimed, entered the US on Dec 24 from Canada on false IDs.
Dozens of people started gathering outside his jewellery shop at Soha Bazaar in Rang Mehal when newsmen, including those from national and international TV channels, visited him in the morning.
Surrounded by visitors, the jeweller seemed bewildered. “Isn’t this going to damage my credibility in the market,” he asked.
However, Mr Asghar said he did not plan to file a case against the US government or the FBI, but added that he would take up the matter with the local authorities. “It wouldn’t be a formal complaint,” he replied when asked whether he intended to file a defamation suit. “I hope the Pakistani government will help me out of this situation.”
Mr Asghar, a father-of-three, said he was sure that one of the five pictures was his, but could not recall as to when he had got that specific photo taken and where did he use it. He said he just wanted to clear his name.
Denying that he had ever visited the US or any other foreign country except the United Arabs Emirates (UAE) from where he was deported, the jeweller said he had no idea as to who had misused his picture. “It might have been the Pakistani or UAE authorities or the agent whom I had given my pictures when I travelled to the UAE.”
He denied to disclose the name and whereabouts of the agent. He even refused to tell whether the agent was a Pakistani or a foreign national. “I don’t want to create more problems for myself.”
He said in the morning that he would visit senior police officers in the company of neighbouring shopkeepers and office bearers of the market union to report the matter and “make things easy for myself”. However, when contacted again in the evening, he said he had dropped the idea as it would have made no difference.
The people contacted by this reporter in the market denied that the jeweller had ever had links with any terrorist organization or a religious group and criticized the US government and the FBI for what they believed was lack of accuracy on their part.