Attorney General to hear Asif's case on June 22

Lahore, Jun 14 (UNI) A top Dubai official will begin his inquiry next week into the drug possession case against the detained Pakistan paceman Mohammad Asif.

''Our lawyer has confirmed that Asif's case will start on June 22 and no charges have yet been lodged against him,'' said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi.

An Emirate's attorney general will conduct the inquiry and will decide the 25-year-old pacer's fate.

Earlier on June 1, Asif was detained at the Dubai airport for allegedly carrying a banned substance while he was returning home from India.

Asif has appeared before Dubai prosecutor, Mohammad Ali Rustan, who was quoted in Gulf media as saying opium was found in the cricketer's possession.

Meanwhile, the PCB chief Nasim Ashraf last week said his board will initiate its own inquiry once Asif returns home.

''We have maintained that Asif is innocent until proven guilty and all speculations on the case are unwarranted,'' Naghmi added.

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