Inadvertent border crosser returns home after 25 years

Asghar Ali, resident of Sadiqabad, was released by Indian Supreme Court

RAHIM YAR KHAN:

A Pakistani citizen who spent 25 years in Indian prisons after accidentally crossing the border while hunting, has finally returned home following orders from the Indian Supreme Court, bringing a long and painful chapter to a close.

Asghar Ali, a resident of Chak 170-P near Sadiqabad in Rahim Yar Khan district, reached his hometown on Sunday after his release, where he was warmly received by local residents who gathered to welcome him back.

According to official and family accounts, Asghar Ali mistakenly crossed into Indian territory in 2000 during a hunting trip, after which Indian security forces arrested him and charged him with terrorism and espionage.

An Indian court subsequently sentenced him to imprisonment until 2010, despite his insistence that he had crossed the border unintentionally and had no links to any militant or intelligence activity.

Despite completing his sentence, Asghar Ali remained incarcerated after being accused of involvement in an alleged attack while still in prison, a charge that led to another conviction by an Indian court.

Following a appeal, the Indian Supreme Court reviewed the case and issued orders for his release, paving the way for his return to Pakistan after a quarter of a century behind bars. Speaking after his arrival, Asghar Ali said he faced severe hardship during his detention, saying repeated physical abuse and prolonged suffering in Indian jails throughout his incarceration.

He maintained that false allegations were repeatedly levelled against him to prolong his imprisonment, reiterating that his initial arrest stemmed solely from an accidental border crossing during a hunting expedition.