Injustice is meted against Hamid in Pakistan’s jail and his health is deteriorating.
Hamid Ansari, the Mumbai software engineer who has been sentenced for three years in Pakistan jail has completed three years five months imprisonment term. Consular access has to be granted within 90 days but more than 120 days has passed but consular access has been denied to Hamid. The High Court of Peshawar has also directed the Pakistani Government to offer Hamid benefits available to him under Section 382-B. Also there are media reports pertaining to assault on Hamid in jail.
Krishna Hegde, Congress leader and former MLA from Vile Parle said, “Hamid too is being attacked in jail like Sarabjit Singh. His health is deteriorating. I have forwarded a letter to Pakistani Desk through MEA. Even Kirit Somaiya is following up this case in Delhi. Hamid Ansari’s parents had even met Sushma Swaraj and briefed her about this case.”
Hegde had played a key role in the expedition procedure of Mumbai based Bhavesh Parmar who had crossed the border and reached Pakistan. He had taken up this matter with the then External Affairs Minister of India S.M. Krishna. After having spent five years in detention in Pakistan’s Kot Lakhpat Jail at Lahore, Bhavesh was given Emergency Travel Certificate by the Indian Embassy in Islamabad to enable him to return to India.
“The Indian Govt needs to act swiftly to expedite the release of my son as he has completed his jail term. I urge Indian and Pakistani governments to see the case of my son with compassion and above politics,” said Fauzia Ansari, mother of Hamid Ansari.
“We are not giving up hope. We have faith in god. We have faith in the Indian government and judiciary and we will do all that is possible from our side to get him back safely,” said Fauzia.
“I have been running from pillar to post and I have already appealed to the external affairs ministry and have submitted all documents,” she added.
“It is highly irresponsible on the part of Indian government, that Hamid is not been given consular access. The Indian government should extend all the co-operation to him. He has completed his jail term, should be deported and given landing permit,” said Abbas Kazmi, Advocate.
“If at all Indian government fails to recognize him or refuses to intervene, then Hamid should seek asylum through the assistance of United Nations,” he added.
“The Ministry of External Affairs along with Home Ministry should approach the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. This case can be reported to other Independent Human Rights organizations, to help save the life of the Indian who is suffering illegal detention in other country,” said Advocate Asim Sarode.
Ansari had crossed over to Pakistan from Afghanistan in 2012 and then went missing. But his family later learnt from officials and associates that he was in love with a woman from the Kohat region of western Pakistan, and had decided to cross over to prevent her marriage with another man. He was later arrested and tried by a Pakistani military court, which pronounced him guilty of espionage.
The Pakistani government has informed the Peshawar High Court that benefit of section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure would be given to the convicted Indian national Hamid Nehal Ansari by a military court for entering Pakistan on fake documents. The law officers including Deputy Attorney General Musarrat Ullah Khan and Additional Advocate General Waqar Ahmad informed a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan that the Indian convict was entitled to the benefit of Section 382-B. However, the bench sought details from the provincial and federal governments regarding the arrest of the Indian national and his expected release from the prison before the next hearing. The court also directed the government to provide required treatment to the said prisoner in the Peshawar Central Prison.
Pakistani media reported that Ansari has confessed to illegally entering Pakistan from Afghanistan for espionage and he had seven Facebook accounts as well as 30 email addresses. He was reportedly found to be in possession of sensitive documents, reports claimed.
