Activist urge govt to get back prisoners from Pak

Veteran peace and RTI activist Jatin Desai has urged the government to urgently confirm the nationality of thirty civilian prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails.

Desai, who works towards Indo-Pak peace, said that out of the 30 prisoners, 28 have already completed their sentence.

"Some of them have completed their sentences a decade ago. Also, India must pursue with Pakistan authorities and see to it that ten civilian prisoners who have completed their sentence and whose nationalities are confirmed are released, urgently," Desai said in a press statement.

Desai who has been at the forefront to secure the release of Indians including fishermen who are incarcerated in Pakistan, listed out a few cases.

He described the case of Mohammad Ismail Samma of Kutch, Gujarat, to be terribly shocking.

"His (Samma's) village Nana Diara is 50 km from the Pakistan border. He went missing in 2008. His family came to know that he is in Pakistan’s jail after the release of Rafiq Jat, a resident from a nearby village who was also a prisoner in Pakistan. His sentence got over on October 31, 2016, and his nationality is also confirmed. Still, he is in the prison," he said.

Desai also mentioned about a young boy named Cheby, whose sentence ended on May 17, 2015, and said that the reason for the boy still being behind the bars is that his nationality hasn't been confirmed yet.

The activist said that the Indian authorities must take an initiative and confirm the nationality of two deaf and dumb prisoners and also that of Cheby’s.

"The story of Naqaya is shocking. She completed her sentence on September 10, 2007. She was given consular access six times since 2012 but still her nationality is not confirmed. Another woman prisoner Gullo Jan completed her sentence on October 17, 2011 but still her nationality is not confirmed. The government must publish their pictures in newspapers and TV channels across India and see to it that the said prisoners' nationality gets confirmed as soon as possible, " he said.

Desai said that he has been demanding that both India and Pakistan should confirm the nationality of 'their or believed to be their' citizens within three months of the grant of consular access.

It is to be noted that under the Agreement on Consular Access, 2008, signed between the two countries, it is mandatory to provide consular access within three months of the arrest of a person by the other country.

As of now, there is no time limit for the confirmation of the nationality of an imprisoned person.