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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
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			<title>Indian SC orders Dr Khalil Chishti’s release</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/478783/indian-sc-orders-dr-khalil-chishti%e2%80%99s-release</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/478783/indian-sc-orders-dr-khalil-chishti%e2%80%99s-release#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 12 Dec 12 05:48:23 +0500</pubDate>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Indian Supreme Court says prosecution’s evidence was contradictory and not trustworthy.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Indian Supreme Court announced its verdict of releasing 80-year-old Pakistani virologist Dr Khalil Chishti in a 1992 murder case on Wednesday, reported Express News.

According to an NDTV report, the court said that Dr Chishti has already spent one year and four months in prison and further custody is not required.

Indian journalist Kunal Shankar told Express News that according to the Supreme Court’s judgement, the prosecution’s evidence was contradictory and was not trustworthy. The evidence did not establish the crime against Dr Chishti, said Shankar.

The court did not find common intent on part of Dr Chishti under the Indian law, he added.

Earlier, the Indian Supreme Court had permitted Dr Chishti to return to Pakistan on “compassionate grounds” but on the condition that he would return to Indian custody on November 1, so it can hear his appeal against conviction in a murder case on November 20.

Dr Chishti was sentenced for killing a man during a brawl in Ajmer in April 1992. He was on a pilgrimage to the shrine of famous Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

After a prolonged trial that has stretched for almost 18 years, Dr Chishti was found guilty in a murder case and was awarded a life sentence on January 31 last year by a sessions court in Ajmer. The time he spent in jail while being tried was not considered to be included in his sentencing.]]>
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			<title>Dr Khalil Chishti returns to India: Report</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/464498/dr-khalil-chishti-returns-to-india-bbc</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/464498/dr-khalil-chishti-returns-to-india-bbc#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 12 Nov 12 14:21:40 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Indian Supreme Court had allowed Chishti to come to Pakistan on condition that he would return to India on November 1.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Professor Dr Khalil Chishti, who was allowed to visit Pakistan after spending 20 years in Indian jails, has returned to India, reported BBC on Monday.

Dr Chishti, 80, arrived in Ajmer city accompanied by his wife Mehrunissa and son Tariq, according to the BBC report.

The Indian Supreme Court had permitted Dr Chishti to return to Pakistan on “compassionate grounds” but on the condition that he would return to Indian custody on November 1, so it can hear his appeal against conviction in a murder case on November 20.

After a prolonged trial that has stretched for almost 18 years, Dr Chishti was found guilty in a murder case and was awarded a life sentence on January 31 last year by a sessions court in Ajmer. The time he spent in jail while being tried was not considered to be included in his sentencing.

Dr Chishti was sentenced for killing a man during a brawl in Ajmer in April 1992. He was on a pilgrimage to the shrine of famous Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. He has not been allowed to travel back to Pakistan till this year.]]>
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			<title>Dr Chishty comes home to jubilant family</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/380028/dr-chishty-comes-home-to-jubilant-family</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/380028/dr-chishty-comes-home-to-jubilant-family#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 12 04:45:38 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[rabia.ali]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Emotional reunion at airport; media scramble leads to chaotic situation.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The wait for Dr Khalil Chishty’s family was finally over on Wednesday as the octogenarian returned to his hometown 20 years after being incarcerated at his ancestral home in India.


The 82-year-old virologist was greeted with a resounding applause, rose petals and flashing cameras as he arrived at the Jinnah International Airport at 9pm.

Clad in an off-white waistcoat and a Jinnah cap, Chishty, in a wheelchair, was escorted by his family and MQM leader Babar Ghauri, and left for his home in North Nazimabad, without speaking to the media.

Chishty’s son Tariq, who had accompanied his father from the capital, said: “It is the happiest day of my life.” The doctor’s wife, who was accompanied by former deputy mayor Nasreen Jalil, was speechless and teary-eyed at her husband’s return. Jalil called her a ‘hero,’ for raising the children all by herself while her husband was incarcerated.

Earlier, the family, while waiting anxiously at the airport, said they were unable to express how they felt.

Chishty’s daughter Shoa Jawaid said: “I can’t tell you how happy I am. I was hopeful that he would come back, and by the grace of God, he is with us again.”

Chishty’s other daughter, Farah Hadi, held her daughter as she waited at the arrival lounge for her father. She said two more of her sisters, based in Jeddah and Canada, would reach Karachi in a week.

Chaos at the airport

As soon as Chishty came out in the arrival area, cameramen scrambled to capture his arrival and were pushed back by security officials. In the ensuing chaos, journalists fell on top of each other and cameras were broken.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Long road home</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/379815/long-road-home</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/379815/long-road-home#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 16 May 12 19:46:22 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Dr Chisty's case is a symbol of hope for those prisoners who await trial in either country.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[After 20 years, eminent virologist Dr Khalil Chishty has finally returned to Pakistan. Dr Chishty’s family was settled in India at the time of Partition but he had decided to stay on in Karachi where he was a student. In 1992, he undertook a trip to Jaipur to meet his ailing mother. Soon after his arrival in India, Dr Chishty got embroiled in a family feud which resulted in the death of a family member. He ended up behind bars and remained there for a fearfully long time before being convicted of murder charges awarded to him in January last year.

Fortunately, human rights groups in India petitioned for his release, on the grounds of both his health and age, being 82 years old. The Indian Supreme Court granted bail in April this year. His case was also pleaded by President Asif Ali Zardari during his recent visit to Ajmer Sharif, followed by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh taking due notice. Even though it took two decades, humanity eventually prevailed, with Dr Chishty being granted permission by the Indian Supreme Court to return home till the date of his next hearing in November this year.

Dr Chishty was received with official protocol in Islamabad, where the president’s plane was used to fly him across the border. While delight reigns in the Chishty household, other unfortunate Indians and Pakistanis held in jails of either country continue to suffer. Dr Chishty has said he will be visiting one such Indian national, Sarabjit Singh, who has served 22 years in a Pakistani jail. Diplomatic efforts are going on for his sentence to be reduced to life imprisonment. Such proactive measures by the governments of both India and Pakistan indicate that we may be witness to more cordial and healthy relations between the two neighbours in the future and this comes as a pleasant change to the otherwise hostile ties that have been adopted in the past. The move is also a symbol of hope for those prisoners who await trial in either country.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>After 20 years, Dr Khalil Chisty finally returns home</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/379786/after-20-years-dr-khalil-chisthy-finally-returns-home</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/379786/after-20-years-dr-khalil-chisthy-finally-returns-home#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 16 May 12 16:56:34 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=379786</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Dr Chishty has arrived at his home in North Nazimabad.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Dr Khalil Chisty, who returned to Pakistan after two decades yesterday, reached his home in Karachi on Wednesday evening, Express News reported. 

He was received by a host of supporters, media men and politicians, including Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghouri at the Jinnah International airport in Karachi.

Express News reporter Vakeel Rao reported that Dr Chishty thanked the media for their prayers and support which had aided his return to Karachi. He added that his happiness knew no bounds.

Dr Chishty has reached house no. B-210 in North Nazimabad, returning to his home after almost 20 years.

Earlier on Tuesday, a frail looking, teary eyed Dr Khalil Chishty was wheeled off the President’s special plane, and on to Pakistani soil in Islamabad.

Dr Chishty, who was allowed by the Indian Supreme Court on humanitarian basis to visit Pakistan, was flown from New Delhi to Islamabad, aboard the President’s special plane. He was received by Minister of Interior Rehman Malik at the airport.

Speaking to media men, he thanked President Zardari for his efforts in bringing him back to Pakistan, before being driven away in Malik’s car.

An Indian Supreme Court order in April this year and a consequent order from the same court last week have facilitated Dr Chishty’s journey to meet his family members in Pakistan. He will have to report back on November 1.

For Dr Chishty – who was sentenced to life imprisonment on January 31, 2011 after a protracted trial for his alleged involvement in a murder in 1992 – this is the first time in two decades that he crossed the Rajasthan border.

Local newspapers described the grief of the situation as he left the state in which he had been incarcerated for two decades.

Dr Chisty told the media: “I am thankful to you all. You all have been very kind.”]]>
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			<title>After securing permission from India SC, Dr Chishty due to return home by Wednesday</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/379012/after-securing-permission-from-india-sc-dr-chishty-due-to-return-home-by-wednesday</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/379012/after-securing-permission-from-india-sc-dr-chishty-due-to-return-home-by-wednesday#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 12 21:37:21 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Dr Chishty will fly back to Pakistan on the President's plane. He hopes to visit Sarabjeet Singh.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Dr Khalil Chishty, the octogenarian Pakistani virologist who had been sentenced to life for committing murder in India, is due to return to Pakistan as soon as Wednesday, on President Asif Ali Zardari’s plane nonetheless.

Express News reported late on Monday that Dr Chishty, who had been allowed by the Indian Supreme Court to travel to Pakistan for a period of six months, has reached the house of his relatives in New Delhi after completing his transfer from Ajmer.

He is expected to file his documents at the Pakistan high commission on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, to complete official requirements for his travel to Karachi.

Chishty had earlier filed an application in the court, seeking that he be permitted to go to Pakistan. The court had asked the Indian government to respond by May 7, indicating it was serious about moving quickly on the matter.

He was visiting his mother in Ajmer in 1992 when he got embroiled into a family feud that led to one his neighbours being shot dead. He has been in Ajmer since, living at his ancestral home during the 18-year trial before being jailed following his conviction in January last year.

Chishty was recently released from the Ajmer Jail in Rajasthan, after being sentenced to a life term in a murder case of 1992. He was set free on April 9 following a direction from the Indian Supreme Court.

The Chishty case was discussed between the authorities of the two countries during President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to India.

Dr Chishty wants to meet Sarabjeet Singh

Once back in his homeland, Dr Chishty hopes to have a meeting with Sarabjeet Singh, who like the virologist, has spent close to two decades in jail.

Singh, an Indian spy, too was handed a life sentence, however, owing to his age, and receiving the President’s special attention, the Pakistan government was willing to commute it and allow his release.

Pakistan had almost released Singh last August, it was believed the government wanted to time his release with that of Dr Chishty’s, and make a swap of sorts, contributing in improving Pakistan-India ties. However, when the court ruled against Dr Chishty’s release, Singh’s release too was delayed.]]>
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			<title>Welcome home, Dr Chishty</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/377439/welcome-home-dr-chishty</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/377439/welcome-home-dr-chishty#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 11 May 12 16:56:37 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Releasing each others’ prisoners will engender massive amounts of goodwill.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[All too often, we end up judging the state of Pakistan-India relations through metrics like economics and politics, forgetting that the enmity between the two countries has consequences that have destroyed the lives of thousands of people. Dr Syed Mohammed Khalil Chishty, until very recently, was one of those who had slipped through the cracks — a victim of the double standards that Pakistan and India hold for the citizens of the other country. A virologist in his 80s who hails from Karachi, Chishty was sentenced to life imprisonment in India for allegedly murdering a family member with his trial lasting 18 years. In a sign of improving relations between India and Pakistan, Chishty was released by the Indian Supreme Court on humanitarian grounds some time back and has now been allowed to visit Pakistan on the condition that he return to India by November 1 for the appeal hearing of his case. This will, hopefully, signal a new era in the way the two countries treat prisoners from the other side.

Dr Chishty’s case was a relatively straightforward one because of his age and health but there are hundreds of other similar cases on both sides of the border. Both countries have fishermen languishing in jails for years for the simple crime of crossing an unmarked border. Often, these fishermen are not allowed consular access and are not even charged with any crime. Now that the two countries are slowly inching towards peace, there is no greater step they can take to demonstrate this new era of relations than releasing all those people who are being held for simple border violations.

Neither country is more culpable than the other in this regard; both have treated prisoners from the other country in an uncaring manner. Releasing each others’ prisoners will engender massive amounts of goodwill. Above all, it will demonstrate that peace talks have a human dimension that transcends matters of trade and economics.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Return to Pakistan: Indian SC agrees to hear Khalil Chishty’s plea</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/374078/return-to-pakistan-indian-sc-agrees-to-hear-khalil-chishty%e2%80%99s-plea</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/374078/return-to-pakistan-indian-sc-agrees-to-hear-khalil-chishty%e2%80%99s-plea#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 12 13:15:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Aditi Phadnis]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Indian Supreme Court asks the central government to respond by Monday.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Leveraging the fact that the Indian Supreme Court had granted him bail and had offered to hear his plea of permission to visit his country, lawyers of ailing Pakistani virologist, Khalil Chishty filed an application in the court, seeking that he be permitted to go to Pakistan.

The court asked the Indian government to respond on Monday, indicating it was serious about moving quickly on the matter.

If things go in Dr Chishty’s favour, the court might pass an order as early as Monday.

Dr Chishty was recently released from the Ajmer Jail in Rajasthan, after being sentenced to a life term in a murder case of 1992. He was set free on April 9 following a direction from the Indian Supreme Court.

A bench granted him the reprieve, considering his old age and the fact that he has been in India for the last 20 years after a murder case was lodged against him when he came on a visit to Ajmer.

The court had agreed to hear Chishty’s plea to allow him to go back to Karachi and asked him to file a separate application for it but directed him not to leave Ajmer.

The Chishty case was discussed between the authorities of the two countries during President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to India.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Expediting return: Zardari requests Singh to repatriate Dr Chishty</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/364480/expediting-return-zardari-requests-singh-to-repatriate-dr-chishty</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/364480/expediting-return-zardari-requests-singh-to-repatriate-dr-chishty#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 14 Apr 12 04:23:32 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[In a letter to the Indian premier, the president asks for a ‘kind gesture’.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[President Asif Ali Zardari has appealed to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to allow the release and repatriation of Dr Khalil Chishty to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds.


Presidential spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the president made this appeal in a personal letter addressed to Manmohan Singh. The letter was sent to Pakistan’s high commissioner in India on Friday for delivery to the Indian prime minister, he added.

The letter entreats the Indian premier to intervene in the matter of Dr Chishty’s release and repatriation given his advanced age and delicate health. It adds that a kind gesture on Singh’s part would increase goodwill and add to the momentum generated after the resumption of composite dialogue between the two countries.

According to Babar’s statement, the president had also broached the subject during his meeting with Singh in New Delhi last Sunday.

Dr Chishty was sentenced for killing a man during a brawl in the Indian city of Ajmer in April 1992. He was on a pilgrimage to the shrine of famous Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty. He has not been allowed to travel back to Pakistan since then.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>President writes letter to Indian Prime Minister requesting Dr Chisty's release</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/364232/president-writes-letter-to-indian-prime-minister-requesting-dr-chistys-release</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/364232/president-writes-letter-to-indian-prime-minister-requesting-dr-chistys-release#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 13 Apr 12 15:54:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[press.release]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Zardari requests Manmohan Singh to intervene personally, repatriate Dr Chishty on humanitarian grounds.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[President Asif Ali Zardari has appealed to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to release octogenarian Pakistani scientist Dr Khalil Chishty and allow his repatriation to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds.

The President’s spokesperson, Senator Farhatullah Babar said on Friday that the President made the appeal in a personal letter addressed to the Indian Prime Minister. The letter was dispatched to the Indian Prime Minister via the Pakistan's High Commission in New Delhi.

Senator Babar said that the President had earlier taken up this matter with Manmohan Singh during his recent trip to India.

Earlier in the week, the Supreme Court of India had approved Dr Chishty's application for bail. The court had further directed Dr Chishty's counsel to write an application addressed to the court for the octogenarian virologist's repatriation to Pakistan.

The President’s letter further said that this gesture would add momentum to the good will generated after resumption of the Composite Dialogue between the two countries.
Following is the complete text of the letter:

"Excellency

"Allow me to express my profound thanks for your kind hospitality
extended to me, to Bilawal and my entourage during our brief stay in
New Delhi. The sumptuous lunch provided us an opportunity to discuss many issues of mutual interest.

Excellency, during the course of our meeting, my Interior Minister,
A. Rehman Malik broached the subject of Dr Khalil Chishti’s
prolonged incarceration in India with H.E. P. Chindambaram,
Honourable Home Minister of India. I also beseech your indulgence on this issue.

I understand that the mercy petition filed by Dr Chishti is pending with the Government of India.

In view of Dr Chisti’s advanced age and his precarious health
condition, may I request Your Excellency to intervene in the matter
and allow Dr Chisti’s release and repatriation to Pakistan on
humanitarian grounds. Your kind gesture would add momentum to the good will generated after resumption of the Composite Dialogue between the two countries.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration."

ASIF ALI ZARDARI]]>
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			<title>Free at last: With Chishty’s release, Indians hope for reciprocity</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/363465/free-at-last-with-chishty%e2%80%99s-release-indians-hope-for-reciprocity</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/363465/free-at-last-with-chishty%e2%80%99s-release-indians-hope-for-reciprocity#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 12 04:21:40 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=363465</guid>
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				<![CDATA[80-year-old virologist had been serving life term in prison since January last year.]]>
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				<![CDATA[80-year-old virologist also thanks President Zardari for his efforts

Dr Khalil Chishty was released from jail on Wednesday.

The 80-year-old Pakistani virologist, who is unable to walk on his own, had been serving a life term in prison since January last year – but the case against him had been going on for nearly two decades in Ajmer.

“I am happy to be out of jail. I believe in God and thank him. My wish is to see my family in Pakistan as soon as possible,” Chishty said upon stepping out of Ajmer central jail, adding that he would also like to thank President Asif Ali Zardari for making efforts for his release.

The court granted bail “taking note of his age and also considering that he was in Ajmer for the last 20 years  ... without expressing anything on the merits of the case.”

After fulfilling surety and bail bonds, Chishty was sent home when a certified copy of the Supreme Court’s order was lodged with the Ajmer jail.

As for the professor’s eventual return to Pakistan, a sympathetic Supreme Court said: “You file (such a petition)... and we would consider.”

Dr Chishty’s travails were discussed during the luncheon between President Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s in New Delhi.

Indian-born Chishty, who taught virology at the Karachi Medical College, was visiting his mother in Ajmer in 1992 when he got embroiled in a family feud that led to one his neighbours being shot dead. He has been in Ajmer since, living at his ancestral home during the 18-year trial, before eventually being jailed following his conviction in January 2011.

‘Happy but not over the moon’

Chishty is “happy but not over the moon,” his jailor Mathur said.

“Perhaps it hasn’t sunk in. Like always, he was quiet and calm and spent the day reading.”

Mathur went on to add that Chishty had been in “continuous mental and physical trauma” during his 15 months in jail, all of it spent in the prison hospital. Chishty has had two heart attacks and cannot walk unaided after he fractured his hip two years ago.

“This is the blessing of Khawaja Garibnawaz ,” said Khalil’s brother, Jamil Chishty’s on his release.

“We are happy that he will come back home,” Jamil said.

Campaign for release 

The campaign to release Chishty gathered steam last year. In June, then Indian apex court judge Markandey Katju wrote to Manmohan Singh urging the prisoner be pardoned on humanitarian grounds.

“Dr Chishty likes to read Urdu and Persian literature and medical books and also borrows from the jail library,” said Salman Chishty, a local social activist who spearheaded the campaign for the professor’s release.

One of Chishty’s daughters, Amna, wrote to President Zardari before his India visit pleading him to secure her father’s release.

Murder case

Chishty’s brother Jamil said the murder took place when some members of their clan, with whom the family had a property dispute, jumped onto the roof of their home to attack them. A fight broke out on the rooftop and one of the attackers, Idris, was killed.

Chishty was arrested with three of his cousins but the family claims the virologist was not at the scene when the shots were fired.

At the apex court, defence lawyer Uday Lalit had cited how his client had been convicted along with some others after being drawn into a free fight.

Sarabjit’s counsel files fresh mercy appeal before President Zardari

Dr Khalil Chishty’s release on bail has brightened up hopes for the family of an Indian prisoner on death row in Pakistan.

Sarabjit Singh, who was convicted in the 1990 serial bombings in Punjab and awarded death sentence, is currently lodged in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.

His sister Dalbir Kaur says that her family celebrated Dr Chishty’s release with the hope that the Pakistani authorities would reciprocate the move and free Sarabjit.

Kaur has visited Pakistan twice to plead for her brother’s release and has also campaigned for Dr Chishty.

However, Kaur believes that unlike her earlier attempts to secure the release of her brother, this moment in time is different since Dr Chishty has been released by the Indian Supreme Court.

Advocate Awais Sheikh, counsel for Sarabjit, told The Express Tribune that even though no legal moves had been made for Sarbjit’s release, he was hopeful that the Pakistani government would release him as a goodwill gesture.  “It would reflect poorly on Pakistan if Sarabjit is not released,” he said.

He went on to add that he had filed a fresh mercy appeal a week ago before President Zardari, adding that the only avenue to secure his release was through a presidential pardon.

Sheikh claimed that Sarabjit was a victim of mistaken identity.  According to him, his client was in a case in which the FIR was registered against Mangeet Singh, the real perpetrator of the 1990 blasts.

Sheikh added that Manjeet was an international swindler and militant and a member of a criminal syndicate. On the contrary, Sarbajit was a gifted artist and athlete.

Sarabjit is a resident of Amritsar’s Bhikhiwind village. He had illegally crossed the Indian border at Kasur on August 29, 1990 and was subsequently arrested and implicated in the 1990 blasts.

On Tuesday, Indian Chief Justice Markandey Katju appealed to President Zardari for the release of Sarabjit.

“I am appealing to you to order the release of Sarabjit Singh and his return to India as a humanitarian gesture,” Katju wrote in a letter he sent to the president through Pakistan’s high commissioner in New Delhi.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Free at last: Dr Chishty released from Ajmer jail</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/363013/dr-chishti-released-from-jail-report</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/363013/dr-chishti-released-from-jail-report#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 12 11:32:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Aditi Phadnis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=363013</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[80-year-old microbiologist also thanks President Zardari for his efforts.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As the sun went down on Ajmer, Dr Khalil Chishty walked off into the sunset on Wednesday a free man, nearly two decades after a murder case was lodged against him. 

To be absolutely accurate, the 80-year-old wizened Pakistani microbiologist who is unable to walk on his own, was carried free, having broken his hip while serving a life term after his conviction in a murder case January last year.

“I am happy to be out of the jail. I believe in God and thank him. My wish is to see my family members in Pakistan as soon as possible,” Chishty said upon stepping out of Ajmer central jail, adding that he would also like to thank President Asif Ali Zardari for making efforts for his release.

The court granted bail “taking note of his age and also considering that he was in Ajmer for the last 20 years ... without expressing anything on the merits of the case.”

Today after fulfilling surety and bail bonds, Chishty was sent home when a certified copy of the Supreme Court’s order was lodged with the Ajmer jail.

As for the professor’s eventual return to Pakistan, a sympathetic Supreme Court said: “You file (such a petition)... and we would consider.”

Dr Chishty’s travails were discussed during the luncheon between President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s in New Delhi while Interior Minister Rehman Malik had also raised the issue with Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram, who told him the case was in the courts.

The Indian-born Chishty, who taught virology at Karachi Medical College, was visiting his mother in Ajmer in 1992 when he got embroiled into a family feud that led to one his neighbours being shot dead. He has been in Ajmer since, living at his ancestral home during the 18-year trial before being jailed following his conviction in January last year.

‘Happy but not over the moon’

Chishty is “happy but not over the moon,” his jailor Mathur said.

“Perhaps it hasn’t sunk in. Like always, he was quiet and calm and spent the day reading.”

Mathur went on to add that Chishty had been in ‘continuous mental and physical trauma’ during his 15 months in jail, all of it spent in the prison hospital. Chishty has had two heart attacks and cannot walk unaided after he fractured his hip two years ago.

Born in Ajmer to a prosperous family of caretakers of the shrine of sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Dr Chishty was studying in Pakistan at the time of partition in 1947 and chose to stay back in that country.

“This is the blessing of Khawaja Garibnawaz,” said Khalil’s brother, Jamil Chishty’s on his release.

“We are happy that he will come back home,” Jamil said, adding that Khalil’s son Tariq will be coming from Jeddah to meet him.

Campaign for release 

The campaign to release Chishty gathered steam last year. In June, then apex court judge Markandey Katju wrote to Manmohan Singh urging the prisoner be pardoned on humanitarian grounds.

Chishty’s wife Begum Mehrunnisa, daughter Shoa Jawaid and grandson Ali Ghalib met him in jail last year. Mehrunnisa had filed a petition in Pakistan’s Supreme Court seeking her husband’s release.

Another daughter of Chishty’s, Amna, who lives in Canada, wrote to Zardari before his India visit pleading him to secure her father’s release.

“But there are not many visitors for him. Sometimes his brother comes,” Mathur said, adding that Chishty had been lonely in jail.

The PhD from Edinburgh University, who has taught in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Iran, apparently had very little in common with the other inmates.

“So, he read most of the time, health permitting. He never forgot his Friday namaaz,” Mathur said, adding Chishty was not a fussy eater and never requested a special diet.

“Dr Chishty likes to read Urdu and Persian literature and medical books and also borrows from the jail library,” said Salman Chishty, a local social activist who spearheaded the campaign for the professor’s release.

Murder case

Chishty’s brother Jamil said the murder took place when some members of their clan, with whom the family had a property dispute, jumped onto the roof of their home to attack them. A fight broke out on the rooftop and one of the attackers, Idris, was killed.

Chishty was arrested with three of his cousins but the family claims the virologist was not at the scene when the shots were fired.

At the apex court, defence lawyer Uday Lalit had cited how his client had been convicted along with some others after being drawn into a free fight, and that witnesses had not attributed any specific act to him. The Rajasthan government opposed bail citing, among other things, that Chishty was a foreigner.

Earlier, Rajasthan High Court had rejected Chishty’s appeal against his conviction and declined to show leniency on the grounds of his age and foreign nationality]]>
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			<title>‘Pained’ by plight: Pakistani inmates evoke Indian court’s mercy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/362877/%e2%80%98pained%e2%80%99-by-plight-pakistani-inmates-evoke-indian-court%e2%80%99s-mercy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/362877/%e2%80%98pained%e2%80%99-by-plight-pakistani-inmates-evoke-indian-court%e2%80%99s-mercy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 12 03:41:24 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=362877</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Indian chief justice appeals to Zardari to release Sarabjit Singh.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[President Asif Ali Zardari’s rare visit to India has certainly created the climate for pursuing better relations between the arch-rivals, specifically for the hundreds of prisoners languishing in each other’s jails.


On Tuesday, India’s Supreme Court said it was ‘pained’ by the plight of mentally disabled Pakistanis languishing in Indian jails, giving the government three weeks to find out how they can be repatriated, the BBC reported.

Justice RM Lodha said such cases should be given ‘priority’ when top leaders from the two countries meet. The judge said he was referring to 21 prisoners, 16 of whom are “mentally unsound and five are deaf and dumb”.

Earlier, the Indian Supreme Court freed on bail an 80-year-old Pakistani doctor convicted for a 1992 murder after President Asif Ali Zardari’s short but ‘fruitful’ visit. Virologist Khalil Chishti was ordered not to leave India until the court had decided on his appeal.

‘Proof of identity’

The court’s bench, headed by Justice RN Lodha, on Tuesday asked the government “why mentally unsound Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentences should not be repatriated?”

“Should such matters not be taken up at the highest level when the heads of the state meet?” Justice Lodha asked.

The government says many of the Pakistanis are still in jail even after they have served their sentences because they do not have proper identifications.

It says these people cannot be sent back without “a proper proof of identity”.

At least 250 Pakistani nationals are being held in Indian jails, some for many years, with one case involving a prisoner behind bars for more than 40 years.

Reciprocity requested

Meanwhile, Indian Chief Justice Markandey Katju appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday to release Indian national Sarabjit Singh, who is being held in a Pakistani jail, The Indian Express reported.

In a letter addressed to Zardari through the Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Katju said Zardari’s visit to India and Ajmer Sharif had created a climate for good relations between the two countries.

“I am appealing to you to order the release of Sarabjit Singh and his return to India as a humanitarian gesture, exercising your power of pardon as the Pakistan President,” Katju wrote in his letter.

“By doing so you will add to the excellent impression among Indians created by your recent visit to Delhi and Ajmer Sharif,” he added.

Katju also mentioned that Zardari had earlier honoured an appeal made by the bench of the Indian Supreme Court (of Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra and Katju) to release Gopal Das, an Indian who had spent 27 years in Pakistani jails.

Katju concluded his appeal by quoting Portia’s speech in Shakespeare’s ‘Merchant of Venice’ on the merits of mercy.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>20 years after… : A homecoming dream rekindled</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/362270/20-years-after%e2%80%a6-a-homecoming-dream-rekindled</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/362270/20-years-after%e2%80%a6-a-homecoming-dream-rekindled#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 12 01:12:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Aditi Phadnis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=362270</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Indian SC agrees to hear plea on Pakistani serving rest of his bail in Karachi.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Dr Khalil Chishty, an octogenarian Pakistani scientist serving life-imprisonment in an Indian jail, may return home – finally. 

In an unexpected move, India’s apex court not only bailed out Dr Chishty but also agreed to hear a separate petition that he serve out the rest of his bail in Karachi. The Supreme Court asked his attorney to file a separate petition for this.

Dr Chishty is 80 now. Indian television channels showed a frail, wizened, bearded man, blinking in the sunlight, being carried out of a prison by two people after the court order was pronounced.  Dr Chishty developed myriad health problems in jail, including a broken hip after a fall.

Dr Chisty’s bail seems to be an immediate outcome of President Asif Ali Zardari’s lunch meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday when the two reportedly discussed the case. Top Indian government officials said the prime minister  had indicated that he would personally look into the matter.

This was after a plea for clemency, which was processed speedily by the provincial government and the Indian home ministry, was held up by the governor of Rajasthan state, where Dr Chishty was arrested and convicted.

Dr Chishty was sentenced for killing a man during a brawl in Ajmer in April 1992. He was on a pilgrimage to the shrine of famous Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Since then, he has not been allowed to travel back to Pakistan.

In January last year, Dr Chishty was awarded life imprisonment after an 18-year-long trial. Till then, he had remained largely under house arrest in Rajasthan, his lawyers say.

After he was given the life sentence, he was put in the Ajmer prison.

Now, India is hoping to hear good news about the fate of Sarabjit Singh who has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for spying, though he says he merely strayed into Pakistan by mistake.

Family eagerly awaits Dr Chishty’s arrival  

In Karachi, Dr Chisty’s family is eagerly waiting for his arrival. The only information the family had was through the media, but his daughter, Shoa Jawaid said they would be ‘ecstatic’ when her father finally comes home.

“We don’t have many details right now like on what grounds he was released, but we know that for the time being he is in Ajmer,” she said. “At least we would be able to talk to him and visit him.”

Human rights activist Ansar Burney said he is leaving for Ajmer on Wednesday to file a fresh petition in the Supreme Court to appeal for Dr Chishty’s return to Pakistan.

(WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RABIA ALI IN KARACHI)

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Supreme Court of India grants bail to Dr Chishti</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/361911/supreme-court-of-india-releases-dr-chishti-on-bail</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/361911/supreme-court-of-india-releases-dr-chishti-on-bail#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 09 Apr 12 07:59:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Aditi Phadnis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=361911</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistani Dr Chishti was jailed in an Indian prison in Ajmer and had been sentenced to life imprisonment.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Indian Supreme Court on Monday not only ordered bail for Dr Khalil Chishti, the Pakistani scientist who has spent many years at a prison in Ajmer, but also agreed to hear a separate plea that he serve out the rest of his bail in Karachi.

The Supreme Court has asked Chishti’s lawyers to file a separate petition in regard to the plea.

Reportedly, Dr Chishti’s incarceration was discussed at the lunch meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday. Top Indian government sources said that the prime minister had indicated he would take personal interest in the matter.

This was after a plea for clemency which was processed by the provincial government and the Indian Home Ministry was held up by the Governor of Rajasthan, the province where Dr Chishti was arrested and convicted.

In June last year, Supreme Court Justice Markandeya Katju had requested Prime Minister Singh to release Dr Chishti on humanitarian grounds. Acting on Justice Katju's appeal, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved his mercy plea and sent it to Governor Shivraj Patil for final clearance. After that, Patil sent a questionnaire to the law department on various issues related to the case.

Dr Chishti is nearly 80 now. Indian television channels showed a frail, wizened, bearded man, blinking in the sunlight, being carried by two persons out of the jail after the court order was pronounced. Chishti developed myriad health problems in jail, including a broken hip after a fall. He used a walker to move about but only very slowly.

Chishti is accused of killing a man during a brawl in Ajmer in April 1992. He was visiting the Rajasthan city then to offer prayers at the famous shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Since then, he has not been allowed to travel back to Pakistan.

In January last year, the Karachi virologist was awarded life imprisonment after an 18-year-long trial. Till then, he had remained largely under house arrest in Rajasthan, his lawyers say. After he was given the life sentence, he was placed in the Ajmer Jail. Some others convicted in the same case had been granted bail. Dr Chishti’s Pakistani citizenship meant he was not allowed to leave prison.

Chishti’s release and the Supreme Court’s intervention will give another boost to the ongoing confidence building measures between India and Pakistan. India is hoping to hear good news about the fate of Sarabjit Singh who has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for spying, though he says he merely strayed into Pakistan by mistake.]]>
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			<title>Indian Supreme Court admits petition against Dr Chishti's life imprisonment</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/341646/indian-supreme-court-admits-petition-against-dr-chishtis-life-imprisonment</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/341646/indian-supreme-court-admits-petition-against-dr-chishtis-life-imprisonment#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Feb 12 06:45:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Aditi Phadnis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=341646</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistani virologist Dr Khalil Chishti filed petition against Rajasthan High Court's order of upholding his sentence.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court of India admitted Pakistani virologist Khalil Chishti’s Special Leave Petition on Friday challenging Rajasthan High Court’s order of upholding his conviction for murder.

The Bench of Justice P Sathasivam and Justice J Chelameswar issued a notice to the Rajasthan Government asking it to file a reply in a fortnight. The petition was filed by senior counsel UU Lalit on behalf of Dr Chishti.

Dr Chishti, currently imprisoned at the Ajmer Jail, was convicted on January 31, 2011, for the murder of Sayyed Idris Chishti on the premises of the famous Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer back in 1992. Now through the petition, he is trying to get the December 2011 order of the Rajasthan High Court revoked.

Now nearly 80 years old, Dr Chishty is suffering from various serious ailments including ischemic heart disease, left ventricular failure and a hip fracture. His case, which caught the attention of human rights activists across the country last year, had led to an appeal for his clemency to the Rajasthan Governor under the provisions of Articles 72/161 of the Constitution. The Governor has not acted on the petition though the State Government had cleared it in May 2011.

Kavita Srivastava, general secretary of Rajasthan PUCL who spearheaded the campaign for Dr Chishti's release along with veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar and film-maker Mahesh Bhatt, pointed out that the deadline for appeal on the High Court judgment was March 20.

Dr Chishti's condition remained precarious in Ajmer Jail hospital though he was once brought to Jaipur Jail in January this year when the Committee of Parliamentarians from India and Pakistan visited it, Srivastava noted.]]>
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			<title>Life imprisonment for Dr Chishti upheld</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/309518/indian-court-dismisses-ailing-dr-chisthys-clemency-plea</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/309518/indian-court-dismisses-ailing-dr-chisthys-clemency-plea#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 11 05:08:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Aditi Phadnis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=309518</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Family and lawyers of Dr Chisthi have the right to appeal in the Supreme Court.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[An Indian court has rejected a plea by 85-year-old Dr Syed Muhammad Khalil Chishti for his acquittal in a murder case for which he has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

In a blow that the Chishty family and the retired virologist will find it hard to recover from, the Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday upheld his life imprisonment.

Many sets of civil activists, led by National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy and other NGOs had asked the court to show mercy. The Indian government had also recommended the release to the chief minister of Rajasthan who had processed the mercy petition in a matter of hours and sent it to Governor Shivraj patil. However, the petition is still pending with the governor.

The governor has the power of remission of sentence under article 161 of the Indian Constitution.

Former Indian Supreme Court judge Justice Markandey Katju had also written to the prime minister, seeking the government’s intervention in the matter. Katju, who is now the chairman of the Press council of India, had, in interviews and conversations, sought to create a climate of opinion in favour of mercy to the old and ailing Pakistani.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Jailed in india: KU teachers, students protest</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/299799/jailed-in-india-ku-teachers-students-protest</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/299799/jailed-in-india-ku-teachers-students-protest#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 11 22:13:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=299799</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Dr Chishti was booked in a murder case in India in 1992.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Teachers and students of Karachi University (KU) vowed to do what they could for the release of a university teacher, Dr Khalil Chishti, jailed in India for about 20 years. They were protesting at the arts lobby in a walk arranged for the cause on Tuesday.

Dr Chishti was booked in a murder case in India in 1992 and has even faced solitary confinement during this period. Speaking at the protest, Dr Chishti’s daughter, Tariqa Chishti, said that her father is still in jail while other Indians who were booked with him have been bailed out. “It is a violation of human rights to imprison an 85-year-old,” she said. KU Pro-VC Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi announced that they would hold a press conference at the Karachi press club on December 1, starting a signature campaign to record their complaint with the Indian commission, and even protest at the Wagah border if need be. PRESS RELEASE

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Clemency for octogenarian: Family begs Indian govt to free Dr Chishty</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/294659/clemency-for-octogenarian-family-begs-indian-govt-to-free-dr-chishty</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/294659/clemency-for-octogenarian-family-begs-indian-govt-to-free-dr-chishty#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 20 Nov 11 05:38:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Aditi Phadnis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=294659</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Daughter calls upon the media to highlight the issue.]]>
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				<![CDATA[It was an emotional moment for Dr Khalil Chishty’s family when they addressed the media in Ajmer, to appeal for his release. Sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case in January this year, the octogenarian was barred from leaving India during the trial, which dragged on for more than 19 years. 


Mehrunissa Chishty, the doctor’s wife, wept as she appealed to the Indian president and the Rajasthan governor to sign the mercy petition and let her husband leave for Pakistan. Mehrunissa has almost lost hearing in both her ears from trauma.

Her daughter, Shoa Jawaid said their father had travelled all over the world and finally chose to settle in Karachi after retirement, when he was embroiled in a murder case in India.

Jawaid appealed to the media, which she said had raised the issue so vociferously in India, to once again advocate for her father’s release so that he could be with his family.

Mehrunissa, Jawaid and the doctor’s grandson, Syed Ali Chishty, are on a month-long visit from Karachi. Another daughter, Tasneema, who is married to an Indian and lives in the UAE, was also present with her two children.

A famous virologist, Dr Chishty has developed several ailments and could not even walk to present himself before the court when he was sentenced.

A Supreme Court judge, Justice Markandey Katju petitioned the prime minister of India on Dr Chishty’s behalf. The appeal for clemency was routed through the Indian home ministry to Governor Rajasthan Shivraj Patil, which is where it rests at present.

Reminiscing about his grandfather, 25-year-old Ali said his grandfather taught him how to read and write.

Now, that he has become a chartered accountant, it breaks his heart to see that his first teacher is not there to see him, Ali said.

Meeting foreign prisoners in jail is an arduous process for foreigners but the family said they received clearance to visit Dr Chishty in jail.

Kavita Srivastava and Anant Bhatagar of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Rajasthan, which has been working to secure Dr Chishty’s freedom, asked the government to expedite the process so that he can go home with his family.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Dr Chishty's family appeals for his release</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/294427/dr-chishtys-family-appeals-for-his-release</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/294427/dr-chishtys-family-appeals-for-his-release#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 11 15:26:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Aditi Phadnis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=294427</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Dr Chishty's family is in Ajmer to visit him.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Begum Mehrunissa Chishty, wife of the Dr Khalil Chishty who spent 19 years in an Indian prison before being convicted of murder earlier this year, wept as she appealed with folded hands to the President of India and the Governor of Rajasthan to sign a mercy petition and let her ailing husband to return to Pakistan.

It was an emotional moment for Dr Khalil Chishty’s family, who had travelled to Ajmer from Karachi and UAE appeal for the release of their father.

The 78-year old Dr SM Khalil Chishty, a famous virologist, was in January 2011 sentenced to life for committing murder following a trial which had lasted for more than 19 years. Chishty’s family from Karachi is currently in Ajmer to visit him in prison.

Family members of Chishty who travelled to Ajmer include his wife, Begum Mehrunissa, daughter Shoa Jawaid and grandson Syed Ali Ghalib Chishty. Chishty’s other daughter; Tasneema who had married an Indian and resides in the UAE was also present with her two grown-up children. The family is here for a month to visit Dr Chishty in Jail.

During his lengthy trial, Dr Chishty developed several ailments. A Supreme Court judge, Justice Markandey Katju petitioned the Prime Minister of India on Dr Chishty’s behalf and the matter was routed through the Indian Home Ministry to the Rajasthan Governor, Shivraj Patil for clemency on humanitarian grounds, which is where it rests at present.

Begum Mehrunissa has lost 100 per cent hearing in one ear and 90 per cent in the other out of shock and trauma.

Shoa Jawaid, Dr Chishty’s daughter, was teary eyed when she said that their father had travelled all over the world and finally when he chose to settle in Karachi after his retirement, he was embroiled in a murder case in India. She also appealed to the media, which she appreciated had raised the issue so vociferously, to once again highlight her father’s release so that he could go back home.

Syed Ali Ghalib Chishty, the 25-year old grandson of Dr Chishty who brought his grandmother to India said that it was his grandfather who had taught him how to read and write and now that he has become a chartered accountant, it broke his heart that the person who had taught him as a child was not there to see him as a grown man.

Meeting foreign prisoners in jail for a foreigner is an arduous process. But the family said they had managed to get all the necessary clearances and would be meeting Dr Chishty in jail soon.

Kavita Srivastava and Anant Bhatagar of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Rajasthan, which has been working on the release of Dr Chishty too asked the government of India to speed-up the process of Dr Chishty’s release papers so that he could be sent back with his family.]]>
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			<title>‘Paperwork keeping Indians in jail’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/285739/%e2%80%98paperwork-keeping-indians-in-jail%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/285739/%e2%80%98paperwork-keeping-indians-in-jail%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 11 00:10:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=285739</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[High court seeks list of foreign prisoners not released after serving sentence.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry has ordered the home secretary to provide a list of all foreigner prisoners still in jail in the province despite completing their terms.


The chief justice also asked the Foreign Ministry to inform the court at the next hearing on November 2 of efforts they have made to ensure the timely release of foreign prisoners.

The court was hearing a petition from two Indian prisoners, Satinder Paul Singh and Kerale Bhanudas, who have challenged their continued confinement in Kot Lakhpat Jail even though their terms have finished.

Their lawyer Awais Sheikh submitted that the two were not being released on the pretext that proof of their identification was needed. But in fact, he said, “some government officials are deliberately delaying their release for reasons best known to them”. He added that such incidents could hurt relations between India and Pakistan.

The chief justice remarked that Indian officials needed to face similar questions about Pakistani prisoners.

Pakistan recently agreed to release a convicted Indian spy, Gopal Das, on the request of a former Indian Supreme Court judge. However, the Indian government did not reciprocate when the same judge asked them to release elderly Pakistani prisoner Dr Khalil Chishty.

Sheikh, who also represents Indian prisoner Sarabjeet Singh, submitted in the petition that he had met the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent and he had confirmed that his clients’ prison terms were over, but proof of their identity was required for release.

Sheikh said that he had submitted his clients’ identification documents to the foreign affairs secretary at the Indian High Commission, who then forwarded the papers to the Foreign Office.

Over a month later, he said, the Foreign Office had still not provided the requisite confirmation to the jail superintendent.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2011.]]>
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			<title>‘Clueless’ Krishna asks Pak to release Chishty</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/229691/%e2%80%98clueless%e2%80%99-krishna-asks-pak-to-release-chishty</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/229691/%e2%80%98clueless%e2%80%99-krishna-asks-pak-to-release-chishty#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 12 Aug 11 03:52:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Aditi Phadnis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=229691</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Manmohan Singh steps in to correct stumbling minister.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Neighbouring ministers, it transpires, are gaffe-prone too. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had to intervene on Thursday when External Affairs Minister SM Krishna stumbled over a reply in the upper house of parliament on the issue of the release of Pakistani national Dr Khalil Chishty.

Eighty-year-old Chishty, a virologist sentenced to life imprisonment last December, has been languishing in Ajmer jail in Rajasthan on a murder charge. When asked by an opposition MP from Bihar Shivanand Tiwari what the government of India was doing about Chishty’s release, Krishna said the onus was on the government of Pakistan to release him.

Krishna said that this ‘particular person’ was detained in Pakistan and it was a question to be considered by the government of that country on ‘humanitarian grounds.’

As appalled and confused MPs got up to stop Krishna, he went on: “Dr Chishty is more than 80 years old, is wheelchair bound and we are sure the Government of Pakistan would take a lenient view about the case.”

He added that India would take this issue up at the level of High Commissioners, before being slammed by opposition MPs that the minister was confused about the identity of the prisoner and had little idea about Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails.

Manmohan Singh eventually stepped in to save Krishna’s bacon. He explained that Chishty was serving a sentence in a prison in Rajasthan, that he has received a request for his release and had referred the matter to the Home Minister who was in touch with the Rajasthan government. He also said he would report further developments to the house.

This is not the first gaffe by the Indian foreign minister. Earlier this year, he read the speech of the Portuguese Foreign Minister by mistake at a United Nations Security Council meeting. Three minutes into the speech he was interrupted by fellow Indian envoy.

Chishty was implicated in a murder case in 1992 while on a visit to India to see his ailing mother.

The criminal case was pending for 18 years, during which period Chishty was granted bail but with a stringent condition that he should not leave Ajmer, among other conditions. Tiwari, speaking to reporters later, said he was embarrassed to see that an 80-year-old national of a neighbouring country was facing this situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Chishti’s release: Indian minister spearheads effort</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/204697/chishti%e2%80%99s-release-indian-minister-spearheads-effort</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/204697/chishti%e2%80%99s-release-indian-minister-spearheads-effort#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 08 Jul 11 04:19:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Aditi Phadnis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=204697</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistani inmate could win freedom within weeks.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram has moved into higher gear a campaign to spring Pakistani prisoner Dr Khalil Chishti from Ajmer prison on humanitarian grounds. On Thursday, Chidambaram took up Chishti’s case with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and pleaded with him to expedite it in any manner possible.


Decision-making has slowed down considerably in the wake of an imminent cabinet reshuffle in Delhi.

A pardon can only be granted by Governor Shivraj Patil – and the governor is one of the persons likely to be recalled to Delhi as a minister. Hence most decisions that require his attention are on hold.

Sources in the Home Office said there was no problem in principle to Chishti’s release. They said, however, that it is rare for a person convicted on a murder charge to be granted bail. Chishti has been on bail all these years and has served a jail sentence for only a short time.

Chidambaram has satisfied himself that the interests of justice – in the form of the judgment handed down by a lower court – will not be compromised if Chishti is released. In other words, the others convicted of the same charge will continue to be in jail serving a sentence even after Chishti has been pardoned.

From the way it looks now, it appears a matter of weeks, if not days, before Chishti is released. Chidambaram has advised the chief minister to have the file signed by the governor and returned to the government as soon as possible so that the Rajasthan government can act on the governor’s orders.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Humanitarian appeal: Indian judge calls for releasing Pakistani</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/191571/india-issues-release-orders-for-pakistani-prisoner</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/191571/india-issues-release-orders-for-pakistani-prisoner#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 19 Jun 11 05:33:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=191571</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Dr Khalil Chishty, 80, is languishing in Ajmer jail; pursuing case for the last 18 years.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Disturbed by reports of an 80-year-old Pakistani national languishing in the Ajmer jail in Rajasthan, Justice Markandey Katju of the Supreme Court of India has appealed to the Indian prime minister to release him on humanitarian grounds, The Hindu reported on Saturday.


In an email sent to Dr Manmohan Singh, Justice Katju said he was making this appeal on humanitarian grounds, for the release of Dr Khalil Chishty, who is old and infirm, under Article 72 of the Indian Constitution.

In an unprecedented step earlier this year, Justice Katju, who was heading a bench, passed an order on a writ petition requesting Pakistani authorities to consider the appeal of Indian prisoner Gopal Dass and release him on humanitarian grounds by remitting his jail term. The Pakistan government responded and released Dass.

Family dispute

Justice Katju, in his letter, drew the prime minister’s attention to the fact that Dr Chishty was an eminent Professor of Virology in the Karachi Medical College, and that he holds a PhD from the Edinburgh University. In 1992, he visited Ajmer to meet his ailing mother. There was a dispute between his family in Ajmer and its collaterals, and in the violence that ensued one person was killed. Among others, Dr Chishty was also implicated.

Appeal still pending

The criminal case was kept pending for 18 years, during which period Dr Chishty was granted bail but with a stringent condition that he should not leave Ajmer, among other conditions.

In 2010, the accused, including Dr Chishty, were convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and given life sentences. His appeal before the Rajasthan High Court was still pending, but his bail application had been rejected.

Justice Katju said: “One does not know when the appeal will be heard and in the meantime Dr Chishty may die in jail since he is so old that he has to be physically carried. It will be a disgrace for our country if he dies in jail.”

BJP opposes move

The move by the judge did not appear to go down well with the main opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which found as “odd” the appeal to free 80-year-old Chishty, a murder convict.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2011.

Correction: June 18, 2011

This story earlier read that orders had been issued for Dr Chishti's release. The correct story is that appeals have been made for his release. The error is regretted.]]>
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			<title>Jailed abroad: SC says octogenarian’s case is out of jurisdiction</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/189797/jailed-abroad-sc-says-octogenarian%e2%80%99s-case-is-out-of-jurisdiction</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/189797/jailed-abroad-sc-says-octogenarian%e2%80%99s-case-is-out-of-jurisdiction#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jun 11 05:38:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[qaiser.zulfiqar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[CJ says foreign affairs ministry committed to remitting sentence.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court disposed of a constitutional petition on Wednesday related to Pakistani educationist and scientist Dr Syed Muhammad Khalil Chishti’s sentence remission and repatriation to Pakistan, declaring the matter to be out of its jurisdiction.


A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was hearing a plea moved by Syed Iqbal Haider on behalf of Shoa Jawaid, the daughter of the octogenarian doctor and office bearer of All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA) and the Legal Aid Call Centre (LACC).

Legal adviser of the foreign ministry Sher Bhadur produced a letter in the court which highlighted efforts made by the Pakistani High Commission in New Dehli, showing that it had forwarded a request to the Indian authorities for granting remission to Dr Chisiti on humanitarian grounds.

The chief justice observed that the ministry of foreign affairs was committed for remitting Dr Chisti’s sentence, adding that the apex court could not pass an order in this regard.

Syed Iqbal Haider, the petitioners’ lawyer, cited an Indian Supreme Court judgment of March 14 this year in which it had directed India’s solicitor-general to request Pakistani authorities to consider the appeal of a prisoner Gopal Dass for remitting the remaining prison term and release him on humanitarian grounds.

Dr Chishti had been implicated in a murder case in India in 1992, while he was on a visit to see his ailing mother. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in India in December last year.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2011.]]>
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