Jan 25 , 2016
News
Missing Pak prisoners: Burney files petition seeking govt’s response
KARACHI: Former human rights minister Ansar Burney on Saturday filed a petition in the Sindh High Court after reports of 189 Pakistani prisoners missing from Indian Jails.
Ansar Burney on Sunday revealed that he was shocked over Pakistan’s government and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s silence and ignorance over “painful reports” relating to 189 Pakistani prisoners missing from Indian prisons. The petition contended that that it is a matter of record that on May 31, 2008, a bilateral agreement on ‘Consular Access’ was executed between Pakistan and India under which both countries exchanges a detailed list of prisoners of each country lodged in other country’s prisons twice each year. In continuation and pursuance of this agreement, both countries exchanged their respective lists of prisoners through diplomatic channels on January 1.
Reportedly it has transpired that a major difference/discrepancy in the Indian list was found, as Pakistani list claims 460 prisoners lodged in Indian Jails while Indian list confirms only 271 of Pakistani prisoners, meaning thereby that about 189 Pakistani prisoners are mysteriously missing from Indian Jails. Ansar Burney, in his petition, said that reportedly the Pakistani list claims 460 Pakistani prisoners lodged in Indian Jails (including 113 fishermen), while the Indian authorities have only acknowledged and confirmed 271 prisoners, whereas the whereabouts of 189 prisoners is glaringly denied by India, which really is a very sensitive matter. “The missing Pakistanis can be misused or utilised in some terrorist activity or in some terrorism incident with the ill-motive to defame and stain the image of Pakistan, which would harm the reputation, integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan worldwide,” said the petition. Given the gravity of the situation, Ansar Burney Trust International chairman urged Islamabad to take up this matter with the Indian government.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk