The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Release of two prisoners: Pakistan rights panel writes to SHRC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 03, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Release of two prisoners: Pakistan rights panel writes to SHRC

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MAY 2. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has written to the State rights panel that it would take sincere steps to secure the release of two Indians, including one from Tamil Nadu, languishing in a prison in Pakistan.

The HRCP responded to a letter written by S. Sambandham, a member of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), in January last urging the authorities to take necessary steps for getting the release of the two who were in a Lahore prison.

Mr. Sambandham acted on a petition by the mother of a detainee. The complainant, Manimegalai of Movur village in Kattumannarkoil taluk in Cuddalore district, said her son, Rajnikanth, a tailor, worked in Lebanon for four years from 1996. Her son wrote to her in November 2001 from Lahore prison that an agent took him to Turkey after promising him a job. The agent took Rs.1.20 lakhs from him, but did not keep his assurance. He and his friend, Jagjit Singh, were handed over to Iran police and they were later sent to Pakistan. Following their request to the Indian High Commission, they were issued emergency passports to travel to India. When they were travelling by train from Lahore to India, an immigration officer arrested them at the Wagah border and handed them over to the Lahore police. They were promised that they would be sent back in a couple of days, but it did not materialise. Subsequently, cases were filed against them. In April 2003, the Supreme Court ordered their release within a fortnight, but they were not released yet. Based on this, the SHRC member wrote to the Pakistan counterpart.

In his response, Brig. Rao Abid Hamid, coordinator, Vulnerable Prisoners Project, said the Commission had appealed to the Pakistani authorities and High Commission in Islamabad to release the two. The legal situation of the two prisoners was not clear. The authorities had also been addressed to permit the official (Rao Abid Hamid) to meet the prisoners in jail. Most sincere efforts would be made for the early release of the two. "However, it is pertinent to remind you that in our two countries it takes painfully long to move the authorities toward compassion and humane action," the official said.

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