Pakistan

Free at last: Indian prisoner, released after 27 years, crosses Wagah

Gopal Das was pardoned by President Zardari on humanitarian grounds.

Express April 08, 2011

LAHORE:

Pakistan Rangers handed over Indian prisoner Gopal Das to Indian officials at the Wagah Border on Thursday, after he was released from Kot Lakhpat jail.

Das had been pardoned by President Asif Ali Zardari through a notification to remit the remainder of his prison sentence, issued on March 27.

Das was pardoned on humanitarian grounds following an appeal from India’s Supreme Court.

He was arrested in July 1984 when he had crossed the border, and was sentenced on June 27, 1986 for 25-year-long life imprisonment under section 59 of the Pakistan Military Act.

Das — who told reporters he was 26 when he was arrested — was due for release by the end of this year.

While the presidency did not say why he was convicted, Das himself confirmed reports that he had been jailed for spying.

“Yes … I went to Pakistan on a spying mission and I was arrested for espionage,” said Das, who was incensed by what he saw as his abandonment by the Indian authorities.

“Indian intelligence never bothered to get me released from jail in Pakistan,” he said.

“I have a grudge against the Indian leadership because it does not bother about Indian prisoners still rotting in Pakistan prisons,” he added.

He thanked the president and prime minister of Pakistan for his early release.

Das had entered a plea to the Indian apex court through his brother, which ruled that while it had no jurisdiction in Pakistan, it could make an appeal for his release to the Pakistan government.

Das said he was pleased to be back home with his family after all these years, while talking to The Express Tribune from his village Bhainimian Khan in district Gordaspur

He also appealed to the Pakistani government to treat Indian prisoners suffering from tuberculosis and languishing in Pakistani jails. He said the Indian government should expedite the process of release of all Indian prisoners.

Dass’ 22 years old niece Navjot added the entire village held a grand function in her uncle’s honour upon his arrival.

With additional reporting from the agencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (5)

Masood Janjua | 13 years ago | Reply The relaesed prisoner's health and appearance proves that pakistan authority had looked after him very well and he has not been treated as a convicted spy. Indian should be ashmed of this because whenever our our people are returned either they are in boxes or unable to walk. I would ask Indian youts thing again before departing to Pakistan for spying and remeber Gopal Das statement that once he was arrested his agency disowned him and even refused to accept that he was an Indian citicen

Junaid | 13 years ago | Reply Hundreds of Pakistanis are rotting in Indian prisons...What Pakistan government is coy to get them released?

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Muhammad Adnan Shakil | 13 years ago | Reply I must ask Pakistani Govt. that our ordinary citizens are being captured in India and kept in Jails without any court case etc., when asked for return their dead bodies came to Pakistan. Is this the reply of those dead bodies that we release all their spies without completing their prisonment sentenced by the courts. For Example, Kashmir Singh was released and he said that he was the spy and now Das is also accepting that he was a spy. So, we are releasing spies in reply of dead bodies of our ordinary citizen.

Raj | 13 years ago | Reply Wearing gold watch...looks in a good health..does not look he spent 27 years in Jail.Remember Kashmir Singh who was released last year, he was so week and feeble. To me he does not look Indian. He looks more like a Pakistani Muslim than an Indian Hindu. ( Please do not take me wrong)

HussaiN KhaliD | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistan's generous gesture should be reciprocated by the world's largest democracy, a free and secular society where people have greater freedoms than in Pakistan. :)

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