A list of the persons called as witnesses before the Commission of Inquiry of Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum can be found on pages 16 - 18 of the Cricket Inquiry report, available online on the Website of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) (24 May 2000).

There is one allegation in the report that a witness appearing before the inquiry had been threatened. Former Pakistan team member Ata-ur-Rehman, whose testimony had been contradictory and marked by retractions, stated that he had been threatened by fellow player Wasim Akram. According to the report:

Next to appear was Ata-ur-Rehman who played for the Pakistan cricket team from 1992 to 1994. He denied that he had made a statement against Wasim Akram before the Probe Committee. However, when the statement was produced before him, he changed his story the next day and confirmed in camera the affidavit that was given by him. According to the affidavit, he was asked to bowl badly by Wasim Akram during the final One Day match at Christ Church. For this, Wasim Akram gave him Rs. 100000/-. However, he maintained that because he was threatened with dire consequences in Manchester, he changed his story under coercion. He also maintained that Wasim Akram paid the air ticket from New Castle to Manchester. He also said that Khalid Mahmood, CHAIRMAN PCB asked him, to retract from his statement. Ata-ur-Rehman, however, in his subsequent cross examination by Wasim Akram retracted from the statement he made against him and said that statement containing allegations against Akram was false (ibid., 28).

These allegations are repeated again in the report, in the context of the discussion of the allegations against Wasim Akram:

Ata-ur-Rehman subsequently again appeared before the Commission and stated that while he was in Newcastle, England, Wasim Akram had asked him to see his solicitors and sign a new affidavit (in response to Aamir Sohail's affidavit). This affidavit was contradictory to the previous one. He says he signed this second affidavit under coercion and threats from Wasim Akram that he has a lot of contacts in Pakistan and would get him fixed if he did not give the second affidavit. Wasim Akram provided a ticket to Ata to travel to London. The ticket was produced and the ticket, according to Ata, was charged to Akram's credit card. Counsel for Wasim Akram has accepted that the ticket was on Akram's credit card.

Ata-ur-Rehman was subsequently recalled on the request of Wasim Akram for cross-examination. He appeared before the Commission on the 3 rd of September, 1999. While being subjected to cross examination he did a complete about-turn and went back on the earlier statement. He categorically stated that he had earlier given a false statement in which he had involved Wasim Akram. He said he had made the said statement under some misunderstanding. He was immediately put on ECL (Exit Control List) and subsequently issued with a notice for perjury.

Later, when Ata-ur-Rehman appeared before this Commission again, to be issued a show-cause notice for perjury, he stated that he had in fact been induced by Aamir Sohail to make a statement against Wasim Akram and that the affidavit was also given at his instance (ibid., 101).

There is a Website devoted to the match-fixing scandal, which is purportedly operated by former Pakistan team member Rashid Latif. Latif was among the first to draw public attention to match-fixing in Pakistani cricket (ibid., 134). Appearing on the Website is the text of what is alleged to be Ata-ur-Rehman's affidavit of 10 December 1998, which makes reference to threats made by Wasim Akram and attempts to explain Rehman's contradictory testimony:

I reiterate that the statement which I made earlier before the commission was correct. Earlier, I had given an affidavit voluntarily and of my own accord. Earlier, when my statement was recorded, Khalid Mahmood, chairman PCB, was present and therefore I could not say everything. Now I wish to make a supplementary statement to put the record straight. My statement before the probe committee was true and correct to the effect that Akram had himself given me money to play badly. While I was in England, Akram prevailed upon me to give an affidavit to the effect that the earlier affidavit given by me was under coercion and influence. At that time I was in Newcastle and was asked by Akram to come over to Manchester where he threatened me with dire consequences and said that he was much stronger than me in Pakistan, upon which I succumbed to his pressure. I was thereupon provided an air ticket from Newcastle to Manchester and back by Akram which was charged to his credit card. I am producing a part of the air ticket as also the copy of the affidavit which I had signed. The affidavit was prepared by the lawyer of Akram and got signed by me. Before making the statement before the commission I was advised by Khalid Mahmood to retract my statement which I had made before the senate committee and earlier affidavit. My original affidavit is lying with Khalid Mahmood. When we came back to Pakistan from New Zealand Akram gave me Rs 100,000 and promised to pay the remaining amount if I continued indulging in match-fixing. Thereafter my mother fell ill and my sister was operated upon and my conscience pricked me with the result that I stopped becoming a party to it (n.d.).

Part V of the report, "Individuals Allegedly Involved in Match-Fixing: Evidence, Verdict and Reasons" details the allegations and findings against former and current Pakistan national team members Salim Malik, Mushtaq Ahmed, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-Ul-Haq, Akram Raza, Basit Ali, Zahid Fazal, Saeed Anwar, Ijaz Ahmad, Ata-ur-Rehman, Saqlain Mushtaq (24 May 2000, 77-133). Although a number of members of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appeared before the Commission of Inquiry, only allegations against players and former players are referred to in the report.

No references to members of the Bhutto or Sharif governments having been implicated in the scandal could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Rashid Latif (Match-Fixing Issues). n.d. "Ata Ur Rehman S/o Talib Hussain." http://www.rashidlatif.8k.com/Atareport.html [Accessed 28 June 2000]

Justice Malik Muhammed Qayyum. 24 May 2000. "Cricket Inquiry Report." http://www.cricket.org/link_to_database/NATIONAL/PAK/NEWS/qayyumreport/ [Accessed 21 June 2000]