Six yrs later, no clue about ‘mentally unsound’ Indians lodged in Pak jails

Six years after Pakistan conveyed to India about 17 “mentally unsound” Indians languishing in jails in that country, efforts to confirm their identity have not yielded any result, despite the Ministry of Home Affairs putting up their photos on its official website and seeking assistance from the general public as well as states and UTs.

They have completed their sentences, but due to non-confirmation of their nationality they cannot be repatriated to India. Among the 17 prisoners in Pakistan who are believed to be Indians, four are women — Gullu Jan, Ajmeera, Naqaya and Hasina.

In 2015, Pakistan had conveyed to India about 17 Indians lodged in their jails and said they had completed their jail terms, but could not be sent back home as they were unable to recall their whereabouts since they were “mentally unsound”.

As Pakistan failed to get details of their background, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was then given special consular access to these prisoners, hoping for breakthroughs.

The Indian High Commission in Islamabad had sent the pictures of all these 17 prisoners to the Ministry of External Affairs to trace their family members.

The MEA subsequently forwarded the pictures to the MHA to help identify their families and homes in India.

“Since then we have put their photos on the MHA website but so far no clue has been received from anyone. We have shared their photos with the states and UTs, but no information has been received from them,” a Home Ministry official said.