With hopes of Mohammed Haneef's early return dashed, his wife Firdous Ashriya on Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A K Antony to help her 'innocent husband' who has been charged with supporting a terrorist organisation in Australia.
With tears rolling down her cheeks, a visibly shaken and angry Firdous said 'they (the Australian authorities) cannot do this injustice' to her doctor husband, who has been booked for recklessness rather than intention.
The specific allegation against Haneef is that he was reckless in providing a SIM card to cousin Kafeel who is accused of driving a burning vehicle into Glasgow airport.
"I had patience till now because I thought that they will not find anything and they will not charge him without any reason. But I did not know that the Australian police is so stupid and are charging on something so senseless," she said in an emotionally-choked voice.
"I appeal to our prime minister as well as our defence minister to help us out of this, as everyone knows he is innocent," she told media persons, who had been waiting outside their residence since early Saturday morning when the news about Haneef being charged came in.
Asked whether the family was trying to get in touch with Haneef's lawyer in the light of hearing of Haneef's bail application being adjourned to Monday, Firdous said: "We are trying to contact him, but have not been able to. We are trying to do something."
A pale-looking Firdous, who gave birth to a baby girl a few days ago and is still weak, broke down as she said, "All our lives are connected to him (Haneef) my life, my daughter's life, his mother and his brother's. So I appeal to the prime minister to please help us out."
Earlier, she termed the charges slapped against Haneef as 'completely baseless' and maintained that he was 'innocent.'
"Everybody knows that he is innocent. Even the Australian people know that he is innocent. If he had to be charged for the SIM card, he would have been charged on the first day itself when he was detained," she said.
According to Firdous, "they (Australian authorities) did not charge him because they knew it (giving of the SIM card) was not an offence."
Blaming the Australian police for keeping him under detention for the past 12 days, Firdous said, "Even after 12 days they have not been able to find anything because he is innocent. Now they are simply charging. I do not know on what basis."
She said the cousins (Sabeel and Kafeel) were 'friends' and Haneef gave the SIM card to Sabeel as their contract in UK was for two years and 'since a year later, we had to go to Australia, he just gave it. After that he (Haneef) has not been paying anything for the card.'
Firdaus said Haneef and Sabeel were in touch with each other. But their conversation was restricted to 'medical environment in Australia' and nothing else, she said.
More from rediff