NHRC recommends 63 Pak asylum seekers not be deported now

New Delhi, Aug 27 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission has recommended to the government that 63 Pakistani nationals, who had sought asylum in India, not be deported till a proper decision on their request is taken.

The Commission also recommended that these petitioners be treated in a ''humane manner'' and proper medical care and other basic amenities be provided to them as long as they are in India.

The recommendations have come on a petition which prayed for the Commission's intervention to save the Pakistani nationals from deportation.

The petitioners, who had staged a demonstration to seek asylum in India, were sent to Tihar jail for burning their Pakistani passports.

They had apprehended that they would be executed under the stringent blasphemy laws in Pakistan if they were sent back.

The Commission sought comments from both the External Affairs and Home Ministry. The External Affairs Ministry had stated that the petitioners had obtained visa from the Indian High Commission on the basis of fake letters of reference.

It said the fear of persecution by the petitioners was unfounded.

The report from the Ministry was forwarded to the representative of the petitioner.

Ms Nilema Probhoo, the representative, reiterated that the repatriation to Pakistan meant a death penalty for the petitioners.

She submitted that the fear of death drove them to obtain Indian visa and the Indian hierarchy had ignored the circumstances under which the 63 people had migrated to India.

The Commission, after going through the petitioners' statements, said the grant of asylum is an administrative decision to be taken by the government, where the Commission cannot interfere.

UNI