‘Facts’ in hand, Pakistan decides to sue UK tabloid Sumera Khan / Peer Muhammad Pakistan’s government has launched a counter-offensive against a British tabloid that ‘uncovered’ the ‘London Olympics visa scam’ after investigations into the issue apparently showed that the story was fictitious

UK tabloid sets off another sporting controversy

Pakist­an Olympi­cs delega­tion charge­d with visa scam; chief dismis­ses claims – says team has only athlet­es,...

By Agencies

Published: July 24, 2012

The Sun's investigator told he could be smuggled into London games as part of Pakistan’s Olympic squad for £7,000.

LONDON:  Another potentially-crippling scandal hit Pakistani sports on Monday – and once again it was broken in dramatic style by a UK-based tabloid newspaper.

The Sun claims to have unearthed a scam, involving a “Lahore-based politician” and other officials, wherein Pakistani nationals were brought into England under the garb of participants and officials accompanying the Pakistani Olympics delegation for the summer 2012 games – set to start on Friday.
However, Pakistan’s Olympic chef de mission Aqil Shah dismissed The Sun’s claims.
According to an exclusive report of a sting operation published in The Sun, a journalist allegedly broke into “a crime ring offering false passports, visas — and access to London 2012 as bogus support staff.” The report upped the ante on the already-startling charges by saying the ring brought in “potential terrorists.”
The Sun alleges that Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry offered its undercover reporter in Pakistan the chance to go to the Olympics posing as an official member of the Pakistani contingent on a two-month visa in return for a million rupees ($10,000). The crime ring had been under investigation after the daily informed UK intelligence, MI6, the Home Office, the UK Border Agency and the British High Commission in Islamabad.
 
Pakistani sports officials rubbished claims by a British newspaper to have uncovered a visa scam that could have allowed potential terrorists into the Olympic Village.
 
Pakistani sports officials rubbished claims by a British newspaper to have uncovered a visa scam that could have allowed potential terrorists into the Olympic Village.

Pakistan’s government has launched a counter-offensive against a British tabloid that ‘uncovered’ the ‘London Olympics visa scam’ after investigations into the issue apparently showed that the story was fictitious.
Terming the story “propaganda,” the federal cabinet decided on Wednesday to file a lawsuit against the daily paper, The Sun, in British courts. A meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, approved the decision to sue the newspaper for publishing the report based on assumptions, said a source, adding that Pakistan will seek Rs10 billion in damages.