Consular access should be granted within three months and prisoners repatriated within a month of their sentences being completed, an India-Pakistan judicial panel that visited three jails in Pakistan has recommended.
The panel, which met with Indian prisoners lodged in Pakistan, comprised Justice (Retd) A S Gill and Justice (Retd.) M A Khan from India and Justice (Retd.) Abdul Qadir Chaudhry, Justice (Retd.) Nasir Aslam Zahid and Justice (Retd.) Mian Muhammad Ajmal from Pakistan.
The team visited the District Jail Malir in Karachi, the Adiyala Jail in Rawalpindi and the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore between 26 April- 1 May, 2013.
The panel, which concluded its visit just a day before Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh died in Lahore after being attacked in Kot Lakhpat, recommended that the Consular Access Agreement of May 2008 between the two countries ‘be implemented in letter and spirit and consular access be provided within three months of the arrest’.
Complete details of the charges and a copy of court’s judgment of the sentence must be shared in each case, said a statement.
‘The prisoners must be repatriated within one month of confirmation of national status and completion of sentences.’
According to the panel, there were 29 Indian prisoners who had completed their sentence more than a month ago in the Karachi jail. It recommended that they be released and repatriated before 17 May, 2013.
The team suggested that consular access be provided to all prisoners/fishermen who are believed to be Indian in Pakistani jails and vice versa at least four times a year -- in the first week of February, first week of May, first week of August, and first week of November, amongst other recommendations.
PAKISTAN BUNGLES ON YET ANOTHER INDIAN PRISONER
Even as India-Pakistan slug it out over Sarabjit and Sanaullah Ranjay, report of an India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners, has revealed that even after three and a half months since the death of another Indian prisoner Chamel Singh, who also died at Kot Lakhpat Jail, his autopsy report has not been shared by Pakistan. ‘Mortal remains of Chamel Singh, Indian prisoner at Kot Lakhpat Jail, were repatriated to India after a lapse of nearly 2 months after his death on January 15, 2013. The copy of the post mortem report has not yet been shared with Indian side,’ said the committee.
The panel, which met with Indian prisoners lodged in Pakistan, comprised Justice (Retd) A S Gill and Justice (Retd.) M A Khan from India and Justice (Retd.) Abdul Qadir Chaudhry, Justice (Retd.) Nasir Aslam Zahid and Justice (Retd.) Mian Muhammad Ajmal from Pakistan.
The team visited the District Jail Malir in Karachi, the Adiyala Jail in Rawalpindi and the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore between 26 April- 1 May, 2013.
The panel, which concluded its visit just a day before Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh died in Lahore after being attacked in Kot Lakhpat, recommended that the Consular Access Agreement of May 2008 between the two countries ‘be implemented in letter and spirit and consular access be provided within three months of the arrest’.
Complete details of the charges and a copy of court’s judgment of the sentence must be shared in each case, said a statement.
‘The prisoners must be repatriated within one month of confirmation of national status and completion of sentences.’
According to the panel, there were 29 Indian prisoners who had completed their sentence more than a month ago in the Karachi jail. It recommended that they be released and repatriated before 17 May, 2013.
The team suggested that consular access be provided to all prisoners/fishermen who are believed to be Indian in Pakistani jails and vice versa at least four times a year -- in the first week of February, first week of May, first week of August, and first week of November, amongst other recommendations.
PAKISTAN BUNGLES ON YET ANOTHER INDIAN PRISONER
Even as India-Pakistan slug it out over Sarabjit and Sanaullah Ranjay, report of an India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners, has revealed that even after three and a half months since the death of another Indian prisoner Chamel Singh, who also died at Kot Lakhpat Jail, his autopsy report has not been shared by Pakistan. ‘Mortal remains of Chamel Singh, Indian prisoner at Kot Lakhpat Jail, were repatriated to India after a lapse of nearly 2 months after his death on January 15, 2013. The copy of the post mortem report has not yet been shared with Indian side,’ said the committee.