Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails to celebrate Eid at home
By Attaul Mohsin Syed - Pakistan Times Staff Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Interior has said that Pakistan’s prisoners including fishermen and civilian languishing in Indian jails would be brought back in October to celebrate Eid ul Fitr at their homes.

The entire process of verification of prisoners’ nationalities will be completed by October-10.

The Secretary Interior, Syed Kamal Shah disclosed this while talking to reporters during a brief chat at Parliament House here on Tuesday.

Secretary Interior according to agreement jointly signed between Pakistan and Indian home secretaries in New Delhi last week, the process of counselor access to Pakistanis detainees to begin from September-12.

The diplomats in Pakistan's mission in New Delhi will start meeting prisoners languishing in Tihar Jail, New Delhi between September-12 to September-13 to confirm their nationalities, Kamal Shah said, adding prisoners in Amritsar Jail will have counselor access on September-19 and 20, while Jaypur prisoners will be provided counselor access from September-27 and 28 respectively.

The First Phase

To a query, Secretary Interior told reporters that about 208 Pakistani prisoners in these three prisons would be released during the first phase after having confirmed their nationalities by Pakistan.

Once the ministry received details of Pakistani prisoners, he said it would be forwarded to all the relevant home departments to confirm their exact national status within a week or maximum in 10 days.

No leniency in verification process will be tolerated by the concerned agencies and confirm nationalities of Pakistani prisoners to be provided to Indian authorities through diplomatic channels in October to secure their release as soon as possible aiming giving them a relief to celebrate Eid with their relatives, Kamal Shah remarked.

To another question, Secretary Interior revealed that about 45 deaf and dumb civilian and fishermen also included in 211 prisoners, of which about six have been released by Indian authorities.

However he made it clear that a lot of deaf and dumb; prisoners would be included in the first batch for the release.

Fishermen

Over 615 Pakistanis fishermen and civilian had been detained in Indian jails for the last few year but they have no counselor access for which Indian Home Department has agreed during the talk on reciprocal basis, he added.

Regarding MoU on drug trafficking, he said that draft agreement sent by India is being worked out and it would be signed soon.

Drat of the MoU has also been discussed with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Responding to a question Syed Kamal Shah said that Indian has handed over a list of 30 most wanted men while Pakistan has given list of 53 wanted men.

But he did not mention the names of the wanted men.●