A policeman looks into a prison, at dozens of fishermen from India before their release in Karachi April 14, 2011. PHOTO : REUTERS/FILE
In an act of goodwill towards neighbouring India, Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso on Friday ordered the release of 51 Indian fishermen who have already served out their sentences.
The humanitarian gesture follows weeks of tension between Pakistan and India over the severe beating of prisoners Sarabjit Singh and Sanaullah Haq and their subsequent deaths in the hospitals of Lahore and Chandigarh, respectively.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting attended by federal law minister Ahmer Bilal Soofi, Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Zahid Qurban Alvi and senior officials of the interior, foreign, law and justice ministries.
Khoso also expressed hope that the Indian government will reciprocate the gesture and release Pakistani prisoners being held in Indian jails. He directed the foreign ministry to initiate dialogue with India for the release of Pakistani prisoners and repatriation of Indian prisoners.
The prime minister was informed that 482 Indian prisoners were currently in Pakistani jails whereas 496 Pakistanis were in Indian jails. He was also informed that the government of Pakistan was awaiting the confirmation of status of other Indian prisoners.
Analysts believe the killings of Sarabjit and Sanaullah were part of a plot to derail the ongoing negotiation process between the two countries. Former ambassador Asif Ezdi said, “The release of fishermen from Pakistan is a good step and India should honour this step but honestly, I don’t see any positivity from their side as Pakistan has been taking such measures in the past with no reciprocation shown from the opposite side”.
Another defence analyst based in Islamabad pointed out that both countries’ officials were serving as slaves to their establishments, which is why they are not moving forward as much as they should.
Meanwhile, the foreign office is in the process of chalking out a plan to initiate dialogue with the Indian authorities for the repatriation of Pakistani prisoners. Foreign office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry, said: “According to the prime minister’s directions, we have already taken up the matter with the concerned Indian authorities”.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th, 2013.
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