Global Foundation has expressed serious concern over the delay in release of 262 foreign prisoners, languishing in Adiala jail in spite of completing their sentence in the jail. In a report issued by Syed Ulfat Kazmi, Global Foundation president and a veteran human rights activist working on prisoners, the foundation called upon United Nations, UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Pakistan Government and Federal Review Board to take stock of the situation and make immediate measures for the release of those prisoners.
Kazmi, while briefing the media men about these prisoners said that out of 262 foreigners 119 were under trial in judicial lock up, while 90 were facing their sentence.
There were 53 prisoners in Adiala jail who had completed their term and were still waiting for their release, Kazmi said adding those 53 prisoners were including 11 women and 22 men from Bangladesh, six Nigerian, four Indian, four Iranian, three Lebanese and one each from Palestine, Burma and Saudi Arabia.
Kazmi said that other foreigners languishing in Adiala jail were from more than 25 countries including America, Canada, Liberia, Rwanda, South Africa, Gambia, West Africa, India, Burma, Nigeria, Angola, Tanzania, Germany, Iran, Uzbekistan, UK, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Afghanistan, Romania, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Kenya and Bangladesh.
Out of those 25 countries, 53 prisoners from nine countries including Bangladesh, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran, India, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Kenya had completed their term in jail but were still behind the bars, he added.
Terming it a brutal violation of human rights, Kazmi said that the countries from which those prisoners belonging were showing callous attitude towards their citizens.
He said there were more than 878 foreign prisoners in other jails of Punjab province, out of which 463 were from Asian countries, 285 were African origin while 162 were from America and Europe.
Giving details of the foreign prisoners in Punjab, Global Foundation chief said 209 prisoners were housing in Adiala jail, 12 in Jhelum Jail, four in Mandi Bahauddin jail, seven in Shahpur Jail, 78 in Kasur Jail, 49 in Central Jail Multan, five in Multan, 77 in Central Jail Gujranwala, six in Sahiwal, 17 in Muzaffargarh, 49 in Sialkot, 73 in Central Jail Faisalabad, 257 in Central Jail Lahore, and 36 on Borestal Jail.
Criticising the callous attitude of the native countries of these prisoners, Kazmi appealed to the UNHCR to accept those dead-souls as refugees and take them in its possession.
It may recall that the Global Foundation forcefully raised the issue of 37 Iraqi and five Bangladeshi prisoners with the UN and arranged a chartered flight for those prisoners.