A judge of the Indian Supreme Court has sent a “personal appeal” to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, urging him to release on “humanitarian grounds” Dr Khalil Chishty, the elderly Pakistani virologist in Indian prison since 1992. The judge, Justice Markandey Katju, had in a judgement given in March this year urged the Pakistan government to release an Indian prisoner named Gopal Das, who had been incarcerated in a Pakistani jail, on “humanitarian grounds”.
President Asif Ali Zardari responded positively to the Indian judge’s appeal, and remitted the remainder of Das’ sentence. Now, a day after the Supreme Court of Pakistan rejected a petition filed by former law minister, Iqbal Haider, on behalf of Dr Chishty, Justice Katju has written to the Indian prime minister, urging him to pardon and release Dr Chishty.
