ISLAMABAD – Indian members of the Pakistan-India Judicial Committee on Prisoners (JCP) will arrive in Pakistan today to discuss ways to expedite the release of nationals of both countries in each other’s jails. A private TV channel quoted a Foreign Office spokesman as saying that the Indian judicial commission would visit Pakistani jails in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. During the five-day visit, Indian members of JCP along with a Pakistani team, would recommend the release of prisoners, reported the Indian media.
Besides former chief justice of Patna High Court Nagendra Rai, other former judges in the Indian team include Justice Amarjeet Choudhary, Justice AS Gill and Justice MA Khan. The Indian team is part of the eight-member Indo-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee for the release of civilian prisoners. The committee was formed in January 2007. Four Pakistani members of the panel are Justice Abdul Qadeer Chaudhary, Justice Fazal Karim, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid and Justice Mian Muhammad Ajmal.
The Indian media said that both India and Pakistan had yet to fulfill their earlier commitment to release prisoners who had served their sentences. During the visit to Pakistani jails, the Indian team would look into the cases where the prisoners’ condition demanded immediate release. The team would also look into prison records to ascertain the facts of each case, said the TV sources.
Judicial Commission on prisoners should look into the cases of 14-Pakistani prisoners who are languishing in different Indian jails despite lapse of their legal jail terms an who national status has also been confirmed by the government of Pakistan. Sikandar-e-Azam Sani s/o Muhammad Khalid Butt, a Pakistani National by birth has completed his 3-years jail term on 30th June, 2011 and his national status has also been verified by the Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan but his release/repatriation order is not being issued. Pakistani Commission my be requested to chase the case & issue /prepare his "emergency travel certificate/document".
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