21 Pak prisoners, including two women, to go home on Nov 14

Amritsar, Nov 11 (UNI) Twenty-one Pakistani prisoners, including two women, who have been languishing in Indian jails despite completing their sentences, would be repatriated on November 14, Superintendent of Amritsar jail Capt S P Singh said here today.

Of the 21 Pak citizens, 17, including two women Farzana and Seema were at present lodged in the transit camp at the central jail here while four belong to different jails in Gujarat due to diplomatic and beaurocratic wrangles.

However, now documentation process and formalities between the two High Commissions regarding their release had been completed, Mr Singh said.

The repatriation process was expedited after a local advocate and social activist Ajay Vermani, filed a PIL on behalf of Farzana after getting information through the RTI that 47 Pak prisoners were languishing in Punjab jails even after completing their sentences.

Farzana was nabbed along with her Delhi-based cousin Mukhtiar Jahan while carrying Rs 98,000 fake Indian currency notes in denomination of 1000 rupees in 2006.

Both completed their sentences of seven months of rigourous imprisonment in November last year. While Mukhtiar was set free to join her family in Delhi, Farzana continued to languish in jail as the consular assessment could not be completed.

Mr Vermani later also filed a contempt of court case against then Punjab Home Secretary B C Gupta, following which the process to release them was hastened leading to the decision to free the group of 21 Pakistani prisoners on November 14.

UNI XC JN RC AS1839