June 04, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 29, 1429

ABU DHABI, June 3: Pakistan Ambassador Ahsan Ullah Khan said here on Tuesday that charges against cricketer Mohammad Asif, detained on arrival at the Dubai airport, had been dropped.

Asif was returning from India after taking part in the Indian Premier League when he was detained on charges of possessing illegal drugs.

The ambassador said that the fast bowler was detained because of a misunderstanding which had been cleared.

The cricketer, he said, would be released soon and would take the first available flight to Pakistan. The ambassador had earlier said that lawyers appointed to handle Asif’s case were in contact with the Dubai prosecution office and the Pakistani missions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai were providing all possible support to the cricketer.

Nadeem Akram, director of HR at the Pakistan Cricket Board, has also arrived in Dubai.