Jammu, Mar 25: Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Muhammad Sagar said Thursday that government of India was providing consular access to the Pakistani prisoners lodged in various jails across the state and other states.
Sagar was reacting to the protest by Jammu based members in the assembly over the alleged move by the state and central government to release at least 28 Pakistani detainees.
Bharatiya Janata Party and Panthers Party raised the issue soon after the Assembly met for business. They were seeking a statement from the government about the reports that government has finalised process to release at least 28 detainees.
However, Sagar said only consular access was being provided to them.
 “As per the terms of new agreement regarding consular access, signed between India and Pakistan in 2008, the consular access is to be provided to Pakistani prisoners lodged in Indian Jails to enable Pakistani authorities to establish the national status of their prisoners, so as to facilitate their repatriation to Pakistan,” he said.
He said that as per the existing guidelines, consular access is to be provided to all Pakistani prisoners who were under-trials/under-going jail terms or have completed their jail terms and also to the nationals of the country, who do not travel on travel documents or their travel documents have expired (will be expiring) by the time they complete their sentence.
Sagar said that Union Ministry of Home Affairs had, vide letter No. 12011/3/2009 –F.III dated 2-03-2010, requested the Home Department, Jammu and Kashmir, for bringing eligible Pakistani prisoners, who have not been provided consular access to the Central Jail, Amritsar, on March 23, 2010, which was later postponed and the date of consular access was re-fixed for March 26, 2010.
It was in this context that the list of 28 Pakistani prisoners was prepared for providing consular access to them at Central Jail, Amritsar, on March 26, 2010, he said adding that they include 10 under-trails, 17 convicts and one prisoner, who has been cleared for deportation after observing all requisite legal formalities.
Prof Chamna Lal Gupta described the policy of the government as dangerous and said that one among the militants being released was involved in 1995 bomb blast in Maulana Azad Stadium.
Taking a dig on the NC-Congress government, BJP state president Ashok Khajuria said that the coalition was itself a great threat for the security of people of the state.
On another issue raised by PDP member Nizam-ud-Din Bhat regarding separatist leader Shabir Ahmed Shah, Sagar said the government has to provide proper security, protection and healthcare to an important leader like Shah.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
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