LHC seeks report on inmates’ return

Adjourns prisoners repatriation case till February 1

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has sought a comprehensive report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the repatriation of Pakistanis convicted and imprisoned in jails of Iran.

IHC judge Shahid Waheed on Monday resumed hearing of a case filed by the Justice Project Pakistan for the return of Pakistanis incarcerated in the neighbouring Islamic state.  Ministry of Foreign Affairs Assistant Director for Turkey and Iran Saima Khan appeared on behalf of the ministry.

The ministry submitted the list of Pakistani prisoners in Iran. The official told the court that a total of 102 Pakistanis were imprisoned in different jails of Iran but 14 of the convicted prisoners returned to Pakistan in July last year.

The court directed the ministry to present a comprehensive report about the step taken by the country to repatriate the convicted prisoners jailed abroad as it adjourned hearing of the case till February 1.

The LHC on November 30 inquired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the time required by the government for repatriating 44 Pakistanis imprisoned in Iran.

The petitioner’s counsel barrister Sarah Belal had told the court that the Iranian Deputy Minister for Justice and Human Rights Mahmoud Abbasi had said earlier this year that 44 Pakistani prisoners were ready to be repatriated by Iran and the Iranian government was awaiting a response from Pakistan.

Saima Khan had told the court that 14 Pakistani prisoners had been brought back from Iran while seven Iranians prisoners had been sent to Iran earlier in July under a prisoner swap agreement.

“The government is in touch with the Iranian authorities for the other prisoners and is working to bring them back,” she had said. To a query by Justice Waheed about how much time is required to bring the other prisoners back, the representative of the federal government could not give a specific timeframe.

Justice Shahid Waheed has been hearing the case since 2018 which concerns the rights of Pakistani citizens imprisoned and or facing imminent execution in Iran and the duties of the Pakistani government to provide consular access and ensure their repatriation

He had admonished the government in the past for not doing enough for these prisoners and for its delays in submitting responses to the court. On November 4, 41 prisoners from Sri Lanka were repatriated to Pakistan to serve the rest of their sentences in their home country.

Pakistan signed a similar memorandum of understanding with Iran in 2014 to allow Pakistani prisoners to be brought back home. Prisons in Iran are a hotbed for Covid-19 and Pakistani prisoners run a high risk of being infected and falling.