It's a matter of great relief: MEA on Hamid Ansari's release from Pak jail
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The MEA's reaction came after Pakistan on Monday released Indian prisoner Hamid Nihal Ansari, who was detained by the country's intelligence agencies in 2012 and subsequently sentenced to three years' imprisonment by a military court in 2015 for possessing a fake Pakistani identity card.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday welcomes the release of Indian national, Hamid Nihal Ansari, from Pakistan jail adding that Pakistan should take action to "also end the misery of other Indian nationals and fishermen."
"It's a matter of great relief, especially for family members, that 6 yrs of incarceration is coming to an end. We would like Pakistan to take action to also end the misery of other Indian nationals and fishermen whose nationality has been confirmed and who've completed their sentences, but continue to languish in Pakistan jails." the MEA stated.
"We hope Pakistan would respond and organize an early visit of Joint Judicial Committee so that issues of prisoners can be dealt with in a humanitarian and timely manner," the MEA added.
The MEA's reaction came after Pakistan on Monday released Indian prisoner Hamid Nihal Ansari, who was detained by the country's intelligence agencies in 2012 and subsequently sentenced to three years' imprisonment by a military court in 2015 for possessing a fake Pakistani identity card. As per reports, Ansari will cross over to India on Tuesday.
whose nationality has been confirmed & who've completed their sentences,but continue to languish in Pakistan jails. We hope Pakistan would respond&organize an early visit of Joint Judicial Committee so that issues of prisoners can be dealt with in a humanitarian&timely manner.2/2
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2018
Ansari, a 33-year-old Mumbai resident, was lodged in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by the military court on December 15, 2015. His three-year jail term ended on December 15, 2018, but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents were not ready.
On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court gave the federal government a month deadline to complete his repatriation process.
"Ansari is being released upon completion of his sentence and is being repatriated to India," Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said.
He claimed that Ansari was an "Indian spy who had illegally entered Pakistan and was involved in anti-state crimes and forging documents."
Ansari went missing after he was taken into custody by Pakistani intelligence agencies and local police in Kohat in 2012 and finally in reply to a habeas corpus petition filed by his mother, Fauzia Ansari, the high court was informed that he was in custody of the Pakistan Army and was being tried by a military court.
He entered Pakistan from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online.
(With inputs from PTI)