A question of prisoners

The process of bringing prisoners home must be expedited.

The issue of prisoners held in each other’s lands has always been one that has added to the strains in relations between Pakistan and India. Despite much discussion, no effective mechanism has been devised to keep track of the number of prisoners, or to hand them over to authorities in their own land. Even fishermen who stray out of territorial waters accidentally often find themselves held for years. The suffering of these persons and other prisoners is immense.

Pakistan has, in recent days, taken up the matter of some 99 prisoners missing from the list handed over to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. The foreign ministry says that according to its records, 485 Pakistanis are detained in India,. The adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, told the National Assembly that India had failed to release any prisoner, not even releasing those who had completed their sentences, while Pakistan had freed 52 Indian prisoners in May and June. Mr Aziz said that 491 Indians were currently held in Pakistan. Furthermore, according to media reports, 367 of these are to be released on August 24. Such a move would be much appreciated and would hopefully be followed by a reciprocal measure from India.

We have a situation where hundreds of people are suffering, while bureaucratic red tape and possible indifference on either side holds up their release. Many of the prisoners are simply people who strayed across the line of divide accidentally. They do not deserve to be locked away for years. The allegations of glaring disparities in lists only make matters worse. These need to be sorted out as swiftly as possible, so that prisoners can return home. Furthermore, any release of prisoners on either side is much welcome, not just as a goodwill gesture but also for the humanity it shows. The process of bringing these prisoners home must be expedited. They have already been locked away from family and friends for far too long.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2013.

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