Additional Pak prisoners name soon: India

Islamabad, Jun 6: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmud Qureshi said 518 Pakistanis were languishing in the Indian jails while Indian authorities acknowledged the presence of only 147 Pakistani prisoners in the list they provided to Islamabad on March 31.

The foreign minister said this during question hour in the National Assembly yesterday. He said the Pakistan mission in New Delhi was assured by the Indian government that additional names of the prisoners would be provided shortly. The government regularly raises the issue of repatriation of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails, Mr Qureshi said, adding it was a humanitarian issue and remains a priority for the ministry.

"Our High Commission in New Delhi is directed to approach the Indian authorities for provision of consular access to the prisoners, while a judicial committee on prisoners has been established to ensure human treatment of prisoners and their expeditious release," the foreign minister said.

The committee would start visiting Pakistani jails from June 9 and later would visit prisoners in India, he added.

UNI