New Delhi: Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has been invited by the Pakistan government to deliver speeches in three major cities. Naik, who faces charges in India for money laundering and hate speeches under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), shared the news on his social media handle. In the post, Naik said that he and his son Sheikh Fariq Naik will address the public in Karachi on October 5-6, followed by speeches in Lahore on October 12-13 and finally in Islamabad on October 19-20.
Naik’s podcast with Pak YouTuber
In a recent appearance on a Pakistani YouTuber’s podcast, Zakir Naik addressed the possibility of returning to India, the allegations against him and even commented on Prime Minister Modi. Naik, who fled India for Malaysia in 2016 amidst the accusations, spoke with a hint of sarcasm when asked about coming back. He said, “Going to India is easy, but leaving is the hard part. If I return, they will roll out the red carpet and throw me in jail Naik. The Islamic scholar also added, “I am at the top of their terrorist list.”
Regarding the allegations against him, Naik said, “Many allegations have been made against me, but not a single one has been proven.” He said that these accusations began after the Bangladesh attack on July 1, 2016, involving 4-5 terrorists. One of the attackers was a follower of his on Facebook and was accused of being inspired by Naik to carry out the attack. Speaking about Prime Minister Modi, Naik said, “His past 10 years have been very good, but his popularity has decreased in this Lok Sabha election.”
Malaysia reconsiders Naik’s extradition
The Islamic preacher was granted permanent residency in Malaysia by the previous government led by Mahathir Mohammad. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently said that he is open to considering India’s request for Naik’s extradition. Anwar said that while this issue was raised years ago by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the focus should not be on an individual but on the broader issue of extremism.
He said that any compelling case should be based on solid evidence of atrocities committed by a person, group or faction. He reiterated Malaysia’s stance against terrorism, highlighting that his country is working closely with India on various anti-terrorism efforts, but stressed that this one individual should not overshadow broader concerns.
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