The three Iranian border security guards held for killing a Pakistani national were released by a court in Kharan district on Saturday, some 320 kilometres southwest of Quetta.
The Iranian guards had entered three kilometres into Pakistani territory on January 1 in Washuk district while chasing a vehicle, and killed a Pakistani national Saeed Ahmad, 14, and injured his 12-year-old brother Islam Gul. Later they were carrying the Pakistani nationals back into Iran when the Balochistan Frontier Corps (FC) intercepted and arrested them.
District and Sessions Judge Kharan Rasheed Umrani issued the release orders after a written pardon by the victim’s parent was produced. In the written pardon there was no mention of monetary compensation for the bereaved family, as the family stated that it had forgiven the murderers in the name of God. All three accused, and the parents and relatives of the deceased were present in the court room when the judge announced the release orders.
A source told Pakistan Today that similar to the Raymond Davis case, US national who killed two Pakistani nationals in Lahore, the Pakistani authorities had helped the Iranians in reaching a compromise with the victim’s family. The source said that Iranian authorities had paid the compensation amount, not in millions, but close to a million, besides covering the expenses on the treatment of the injured Islam Gul in Zahidan. After the court orders, all three Iranian guards were handed over to the FC Balochistan and were shifted to Naushki district. Reportedly, FC officials drove them to the border town of Taftan on Sunday morning to hand them over to the Iranian authorities.
The Iranian government had been pressurising Islamabad to secure the release of its three border guards. After refusal from the Pakistani side because the victim’s father registered a murder case, the Iranian officials made a settlement with the bereaved family through tribal elders from both sides of the border and Pakistani district officials.
