On Monday, April 17, the authorities in the Netherlands confirmed that it was prosecuting a ‘famous’ Pakistani for allegedly inciting the murder of a lawmaker. According to the Dutch public prosecution office, a 37-year-old man offered 21,000 euros ($23,000) in 2018 for the murder of a Dutch MP through an online video but did not specify the suspect or the victim.
“In this particular case, the suspect is identifiable. He is a famous person in his own country. As a result, the Dutch police recognised him from the images,” prosecutors said in a statement.
Geert Wilders, a Dutch MP, however, tweeted about it and identified the accused as the former international cricketer Khalid Latif.
Wilders, who in 2018 withdrew a competition for drawings of the Prophet Mohammed due to protests and death threats, tweeted that the suspect was former Pakistan opening batsman Khalid Latif.
“The Dutch Public Prosecutor will prosecute and subpoena cricket player #KhalidLatif from #Pakistan who put a price on my head to kill me in 2018. They will ask for his arrest and extradition as well. I hope #SaadHussainRizvi and @DrJalaliTLY who put a fatwa on me will be next!” tweeted the MP.
The Dutch Public Prosecutor will prosecute and subpoena cricket player #KhalidLatif from #Pakistan who put a price on my head to kill me in 2018. They will ask for his arrest and extradition as well. I hope #SaadHussainRizvi and @DrJalaliTLY who put a fatwa on me will be next! 👍 pic.twitter.com/6kgwGGL6LL
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) April 17, 2023
When asked to confirm that Latif was the suspect, a representative for the Dutch prosecution service said, “We never give names.”
When asked, Latif claimed he was not aware of the allegations. “I have no knowledge of this. I will only comment once I get any communication on this,” he reportedly told the French news agency AFP.
Currently, Dutch prosecutors have asked Pakistan to serve the summons on the suspect, but they warned that this would be “very complicated” due to the lack of a legal treaty between the two nations.
Latif has been ordered to appear in court near Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on August 29 for charges of attempting to incite murder, sedition, and threats. According to Dutch media, Latif was questioned by prosecutors in 2019 as well. The Pakistani embassy in The Hague has not responded to the case yet.
It may be recalled that Khalid Latif was banned from cricket for five years in 2017 for spot-fixing in a Pakistan Super League match in Dubai. The Pakistan Cricket Board had charged Khalid Latif with six major breaches under the PCB’s anti-corruption code and banned him from all forms of cricket. Khalid Latif was also fined a million Pakistani Rupees.
“Anti Corruption Tribunal has found Khalid Latif guilty of all charges…” the PCB had tweeted from its verified Twitter handle.
Anti Corruption Tribunal has found Khalid Latif guiltily of all charges, therefore has announced a ban of 5 years & a fine of PKR 1 Million
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 20, 2017
Later, in 2022, Khalid Latif accepted his role in spot-fixing and apologised to PCB in writing.
