The human and civil rights organisation, Ansar Burney Trust International, has urged the Indian government to release a Pakistani national detained in an Indian jail since 1971, along with other Pakistani prisoners lodged in Indian jails even after completing their sentences or being declared innocent by Indian courts.
The Chairman of the Trust, a former federal minister for human rights, Ansar Burney, was contacted by the family of Muhammad Naseer, who has been behind bars in India since 1971. On receipt of the information, Burney contacted the Indian officials in New Delhi and requested for Naseer's early release.
In his letters to the Indian Minister for Home Affairs Shivraj V Patil, Secretary for External Affairs Shiv Shanker Menon, and Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan Satyabrata Pal, Burney informed about the plight of Muhammad Naseer, who has been behind bars in Kolkata Jail since 1971 on baseless charges, as per claim of the family of Naseer.
The Trust had also earlier contacted the Indian High Commission in Islamabad regarding the case of Muhammad Naseer and had been informed that investigation would be conducted by Indian officials.
According to the family, Muhammad Naseer was 27 years old when living in Duniyajpur (East Pakistan) in 1971 with his family. His house and shop were burnt by extremist, while most of his family, including children, were murdered. However, he and his wife Shahla managed to escape into the nearby forests.
Due to starvation, Muhammad Naseer left the cover of the forest to look for food when he was spotted and arrested by members of Mukhti Bahini. His wife, who witnessed his arrest, assumed that he had been killed. She was moved to a camp that was established by the United Nations and later she was shifted to Karachi.
However, in the year 2000, Muhammad Naseer managed to send a letter to his relatives in Ghazipur, India, informing them that he was still alive, and in Kolkota Jail. He also informed them that upon his arrest by Mukhti Bahini, he had been handed over to the Indian Military as a prisoner of war (POW) on March 25, 1971.
It was through this letter that his family came to know that Naseer was still alive and what had happened to him. Naseer also informed his relatives that there were 26 other Pakistanis who had been arrested and put behind bars by the Indian government, accused of being Pakistani spies.
In the interest of justice and human rights, the Ansar Burney Trust on knowing details from the family of Naseer has requested the Indian government to confirm his detention and under what charges he is in prison. The Trust has also forwarded details of Naseer's plight to Indian officials and requested for his immediate release.
In another case, the Ansar Burney Trust International has requested Indian officials to immediately release Mohammad Pervez Soda, a Pakistani national lodged in a Police Station in Mumbai, even after his release orders by the Indian Supreme Court.
Muhammad Pervez Soda, was convicted under MCOCA fake charges in 1999. He completed his sentence in December 2007 but to-date, he is waiting to be released and sent back to Pakistan.
For six months now, Soda has been living in Saki Naka Police Station premises, Mumbai, under surveillance. When his passport and visa expired recently, Soda went on hunger strike, and when his condition worsened he was admitted to Rajawadi hospital.
According to his family, he was released from the Yerewada Jail on December 4 last year, after serving eight years' sentence. He was then brought to Saki Naka police station where they had first arrested him.
Burney informed the Indian Government that the Trust in interest of human rights was ready to pay any expenses of travelling and provide any documentation in this regard. In a third case, Burney also requested for the release of an innocent Pakistani national Muhammad Usman Sheikh (Abdul Samad Askari) who is presently confined in the District Jail Sungroor, Punjab. The Supreme Court of India has already dismissed his case and declared him innocent but unfortunately due to unknown reasons he has not been released.