News
Monday, May 24, 2010
18 POWs of 1965, 1971 wars suffering in Indian jails* Indian government has failed to respond to repeated requests about POWs’ status
* 926 Pakistani civilians still languishing in Indian jailsBy Tahir Niaz
ISLAMABAD: At least 18 Pakistani prisoners of war (POWs) of 1965 and 1971 Pak-India wars are still in Indian custody, sources in the Defense Ministry told Daily Times on Sunday.
These POWs include two majors who went missing during the two wars.
The Pakistani PoWs in Indian custody include Major Ilamuddin, Major Muhammad Arif Jan, Capt Muhammad Jurjees Nagi, Lt Kaleem Muhammad, 2/Lt Muhammad Akhtar, Hav Zakar Rehman, Hav Muzaffar Ahmed, L/Hav Bagh Hussain, Lnk Abdul Ghani, Lnk Muhammad Ismail, Lnk Abdul Rehman, Gnr Muhammad Afzal, OCU Muhammad Aslam, OCU Muhammad Khaliq Khan, OCU Aitbar Khan, Spr Abdul Haq, Sep Abdul and Sep Muhammad Ayub.
Foreign Office sources told Daily Times that the list of the 18 Pakistani missing defence officials was handed over to the High Commission of India on December 22, 2009, seeking the whereabouts, well being and safety of these Pakistanis.
Subsequently, reminders were sent to the Indian External Affairs Ministry, but it did not respond to even a single letter. The last reminder was sent on May 11, 2010, the sources said.
The thought that Pakistani PoWs might be alive languishing in Indian jails still gives their families the chills, however, nobody knows how many are still alive out of the 18 after the lapse of 45 years.
According to official figures, the total number of civilian Pakistanis released from Indian jails since July 2009 is 59, while the total number of civilian Indians released from Pakistani jails since July 2009 is 102.
The total number of civilian Pakistanis still in Indian jails is approximately 926, but according to the Indian Ministry Of External Affairs, the total number of civilian Pakistanis in Indian jails is 614.
When asked to comment on the issue, defence sources said Pakistani authorities were actively pursuing the case with India despite a lacklustre response, however, they said the best time to negotiate the POWs release was when Pakistan were to decide whether to release Indian spy Kashmir Singh in 2008.
The long-standing border and Kashmir dispute resulted in full-scale wars between India and Pakistan in September 1965 and December 1971.
The 1971 war lasted for 14 days, and over 92,000 Pakistani soldiers were taken prisoner by India.
The POWs were exchanged following the 1972 Simla Agreement, but some of the Pakistani prisoners remained unaccounted for and stayed in detention in India.
The Geneva Convention on prisoners of war states that they shall be released and repatriated without delay after cessation of active hostilities. India and Pakistan are both signatories to the Geneva Convention.
According to some media reports, Chinese POWs are also imprisoned in India since the 1962 Sino-Indian war.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk