KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday once again issued notices to federal authorities on a petition seeking repatriation of 17 Pakistani prisoners languishing in Indian jails despite serving their terms.
A division bench was hearing a petition filed by Ansar Burney Trust submitting that as many as 17 Pakistanis are still behind the bars for several years in India despite they have already served their respective terms.
The petitioner gave the details about the 17 prisoners to the court that, as per interior ministry confirmation in 2015 are still in India.
The petitioner had also placed on record a letter of the foreign ministry to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi containing the list of 17 Pakistani prisoners with the dates of confirmation of their national status by the Ministry of Interior.
According to the letter, Pakistan’s mission at New Delhi was requested to take up the matter with the Indian government for an early release of the Pakistani prisoners as well as all those who had completed their sentences.
The foreign ministry letter to the Pakistan mission in New Delhi said these Pakistani prisoners had reportedly completed their sentences.
The court was requested to direct the federal government to take measures for Pakistani prisoners’ repatriation from India at the earliest.
Issuing notices to the Interior and Foreign ministries, the court directed them to furnish their replies by the next hearing.
