HC issues notice to Centre on Pak prisoners issue

Chandigarh, Aug 21 (UNI) Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Union Home Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry to file in four weeks time their final version explaining the delay in repatriating those Pakistani prisoners who have already completed the sentence awarded to them by the competent courts.

The division bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Surya Kant gave the orders in response to a PIL filed by World Human Rights Protection Council through its convenor advocate Ranjan Lakhanpal.

The Punjab Government in its response had stated that despite repeated communications to the Union Government to arrange for the repatriation of these prisoners, no steps had been taken by the authorities concerned to do the needful so far.

However, it was submitted that of 31 such prisoners in jails, 19 had already been repatriated while 6 of remaining 12 were getting treatment at Institute of Medntal Health, Amritsar and other six were fit enough for repatriation.

UNI XC PS BP2103