Presidential pardon: Punjab delaying release of Indian prisoner

Punjab govt wants to create an impression that the president’s orders would not be easily implemented.

LAHORE:

The Punjab government, despite having the pardon notification of an Indian prisoner Gopaal Das in hand from federal government, is trying to deliberately delay the implementation of the notification as a ploy to malign the president, well placed sources in government told The Express Tribune.

On March 27, President Asif Ali Zardari pardoned Das’ remaining prison term after 27 years incarceration in Pakistan on humanitarian grounds on the appeal of the Indian Supreme Court.

Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar told The Express Tribune that the president pardoned Das in consultation with the prime minister.

He said that a notification was issued the same day and immediately sent to the departments concerned.

Sources in the Punjab government said that the provincial home department had received the pardon notification a couple of days ago from the federal ministry of interior, but it was not yet referred to the Inspector-General of the Prisons Department for further action.

They said that the Punjab government had directed officials of the home department dealing with prison affairs to delay the matter till further orders.

They accused the Punjab government of deliberately delaying the implementation on the notification in a bid to challenge the credibility of the president’s orders. However, they said that the Punjab government would release the prisoner after making sure that they create an impression that the presidency’s orders would not be easily complied in Punjab.

Das’ relatives, who are awaiting his release across the Wagha border, have appointed a Pakistani lawyer, Awais Sheikh, who runs a non-profit organisation called Pak-India Peace Initiative to bring Das back to India.

Sheikh told The Express Tribune that Das, son of Bihari Lal, was confined in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. He said that Das was awarded 25-year prison term under Section 59 of the Military Act in 1986.

He said that Das’ brother Anand Veer and his lawyer Kumar Arvind Sharma have appointed him to help complete formalities of his release. He said that he has submitted his application for expediting the release process. He said that he had been asked to come back on Tuesday (today).

Central Jail’s Additional Superintendent Ishtiaq Gull told The Express Tribune that Das’ prison term would end at the end of the current year. He said that he has not yet received any notification for his release from the IG Prisons or the home department.

Das’ lawyer Sharma told The Express Tribune via phone that he was worried about the delay.

Das’ brother Anand Veer told The Express Tribune on phone that they had not yet been told by the Pakistani government when Das would be released.

Additional Secretary Prison (Home Department) Dr Shoaib Akbar said that although he looks after the prison affairs, the case relating to foreign prisoners is dealt by his colleague, the additional secretary internal security (Home Department), Nadeem Aslam. He refused to comment on the status of Das’ release.

Nadeem Aslam was reluctant to talk with this correspondent on the matter but a section officer concerned, Irfan Cheema, said that he would provide information on a written request.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th,  2011.