Melbourne: Political parties and lawyers in Australia on Friday slammed the government over the sloppy handling of the case of Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef, held in connection with the failed terror plot in the United Kingdom.
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said that handling of Dr Haneef's case has damaged the country's international reputation and his party would be pushing for a Senate probe, according to a report posted on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation News website.
"You cannot move beyond thinking that the mistakes here come out of the politicians in the Howard Cabinet wanting to put fear into the Australian public as a means of changing votes," Brown said.
Joining the Greens, the country's Labour Party also demanded an immediate external review into the handling of the Gold Coast doctor's case, the Herald Sun reported.
"The (John) Howard Government must now establish an external review into the handling of the Dr Mohammed Haneef case by the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)," Labour Senator Joe Ludwig was quoted as saying.
"An immediate review is critical given the importance of sustaining public confidence in the application of Australia's new counter-terrorism laws," he said, calling on Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews to explain inconsistencies in his stance on the case.
The minister had cancelled the Indian doctor's visa on character grounds on July 16, hours after a Brisbane court granted him bail.
Even Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said the developments in Dr Haneef's case showed "how important is it for people to speak up and raise concerns," the ABC News portal reported.
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