Indo-Pak Judicial Committee visits Amritsar jail

Amritsar, Aug 18 : A delegation comprising Indian and Pakistani judges today visited the Amritsar jail and met the Pakistani prisoners lodged there.

The head of the Pakistan delegation Nasir Aslam Zahid expected that out of 55 Pakistani prisoners kept in the central jail in Amritsar 30 would be released in two weeks time.

"We visited the jail and have been told officially that there are 55 prisoners from Pakistan. We talked to them and have also confirmed their identities by talking to Pakistan High Commission on telephone, which has confirmed that they are Pakistan citizens. Zthirty of them will be released in two weeks time," said Zahid.

The jail officials also expressed the hope that those idenitrified will be released soon.

"We have almost decided today that 7 to 8 members who have not been identified earlier have been identified today and will be released in two weeks," said SP Singh, Superintendent of Amritsar Central Jail. The visit of the Pakistan-India Judicial Committee is intended to help the prisoner's early release.

The committee would also visit the jails of New Delhi and Jaipur.

The Pakistan-India Judicial Committee on Prisoners was formed in January 2007 to facilitate release of the prisoners languishing in jails of both countries.

The committee has already visited Pakistani jails in June and as a result 34 Indian prisoners were released a day ahead of Independence Day on 15th August.

Currently, many people especially fishermen from both India and Pakistan, who have entered each others territorial waters, often inadvertently, are lodged in the jails.

ANI