LAHORE: The Indian government has handed over a Pakistani citizen imprisoned in India for 23 years as a goodwill gesture, a local media outlet reported on Tuesday.
Hailing from Kotli, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Syed Sajid Ali was arrested after he accidentally crossed the border into Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) in September, 1995.
He was handed over to Pakistan Rangers by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) after a process of repatriation that began in 2006 after confirmation of Ali’s nationality.
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi played a critical role in Ali’s release.
A number of Pakistani and Indian nationals are currently imprisoned in both countries due to non-verification of their citizenship.
The Indian government’s decision to repatriate Syed Sajid Ali comes after a 22-year-old Indian national was repatriated last week as a good will gesture.
Jitendra Arjunwar was suffering from sickle cell anemia and mistakenly crossed over into Pakistan five years ago.
