The neighbours of Dr Mohammed Haneef have planned a grand welcome party at their apartment Daffodil Regency at Frazer Town, once he returns home with his family.
“We haven’t fixed a date, but we will host a grand party, after he comes home from his in-laws’ house in BTM Layout,” said Aamir, a resident of Daffodil Regency, on Kandaswamy Mudaliar Road. The apartment welfare association has raised funds   from the occupants to hold a grand party.
“We have collected extra amount from the residents of the apartment besides the monthly maintenance charges,”  Mr Aamir stated. The budget for the party is around Rs 10,000.
“We are thrilled to see the family together after all the trauma they have gone through in the past few weeks. During his detention, they had confined themselves to their house and hardly ever step out,” he added.
Rows of bright balloons with messages like “Doctors are healers not killers” and “Not all Muslims are terrorists”, still hang on the porch and at the entrance of the building. Haneef’s family is looking forward to the Aqeeqa (head shaving) ceremony for Haneef’s daughter — the one-month-old Haniya and his niece — the nearly two-month-old Aksa, at a religious ceremony, soon.
“The Aqeeqa ceremony is overdue. It takes place soon after the birth of a child, but in this case, it had to be postponed because of the circumstances,” said Haneef’s neighbour. Haneef returned home on July 29 after charges against him were dropped by the Australian Police. Haniya was born a few days before he was arrested on July 2.
A neighbour said, “we had offered prayers for his release. Now, it is time to offer Shukrana Namaz for having answered our prayers”. The children of the neighbourhood have a separate welcome plan for  Haneef, with firecrackers and sweets.