Paul wants wide delegate scope for PoW identification

Rajkot, May 20: International Human Rights activist M K Paul has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to send a family member of each of the Prisoners of War (PoW) for identifying them in Pakistani jails.

Mr Paul has written a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard following a decision by the Ministry of External Affairs to send family members of only a few Air Force and Army officers.

Mr Paul said earlier families of POWs were sent letters and some of them were informed on phone to keep their passports ready for the purpose of visiting Pakistan. However, now these families of lower rank officials are being ignored and are not being included in the delegation which will go to Pakistan to identify the POWs.

''It is learnt that six family members, each of Army officers and Air Force officers, and only twelve family members of lower-rank soldiers are likely to be sent to Pakistan from May 28 to June 2,'' Mr Paul said.

He said one Kishorilal Sharma from Ludhiana, who was in Pakistan jail from September 18, 1966 to September 18, 1994, on spying charges, was in personal touch with all Indian prisoners in Pakistan jails and was willing to join the delegation to identify the POWs.

Mr Paul also suggested that before sending the delegation, a joint meeting of National Human Rights Commission of India and Pakistan should be held in the presence of officials of the International Red Cross of Geneva, India and Pakistan. He said a meeting of NGOs from India and Pakistan, who are pursuing this matter, should also be held to resolve this painful matter and also suggested that an urgent meeting of dependents of all 74 victims should also be called.

Mr Paul said if members of all the POWs were not included in the delegation, they would stage a ''dharna'' in front of Ministry of Defence.

Mr Paul said it is a very painful and delicate matter which has lingered for 35 years now. It concerns the ''Right to Life'' and ''Right to Liberty'' of people who have been rotting in Pakistani jails due to gross negligence and carelessness of the Indian government.

UNI