Eid gift packs were distributed among the Pakistani jail inmates undergoing various jail terms on charges of drug smuggling in Beijing prison, said a senior Pakistani diplomat here on Wednesday.
The gifts were distributed on the directive of Pakistan's Ambassador to China Masood Khan who has taken the initiative for welfare of Pakistani prisoners convicted on various charges and provide them maximum assistance.
As many as twelve Pakistani prisoners convicted on charge of smuggling heroin into China were undergoing life imprisonment in Beijing, said the Counsellor, Consular Affairs Dr Fazlur Rahman Ajez after visiting the Beijing prison and met Pakistanis.
The Eid gifts distributed are include copies of Holy Quran with Urdu translation-commentary, booklets of Hadith, Prayer-mates, prayers-caps, handkerchiefs, set of towels, warm socks, bath-washing soap, tooth paste-brush, chocolates-candies, biscuits, soft-drink, dry fruit, note-books and ball pens.
Dr Rahman also paid attention, which they demanded regarding facility to establish contacts with their near and dear ones in Pakistan to inform about their welfare and provision of money from their relatives to meet some of their day-to-day needs. An assurance was given to them by the Counsellor-CA, who later approached the concerned Chinese authorities to provide this facility to the Pakistani prisoners in China.
The relatives of the prisoner undergoing various terms in Beijing can also contact the Counsellor-CA Telephone No 00-86-10-65322558 Fax No 00-86-10-65322558 and 00-86-10-65322715 or can preferably visit Pakistan Embassy's website where all details about the Community Welfare programme is available, Dr Rahman added. He said that most of the prisoners were youth except two who were in their 50s. One of the prisoners was awarded capital punishment while remaining facing life imprisonment on charge of drug smuggling.
Further, he pointed out that during his meeting with Pakistani prisoners, he urged them to abide by the rules, focus on available educational programme in prison, deeply study Holy Quran and get blessings from the Allah Almighty to mitigate their sufferings, and become a valuable citizen on their return home.
He said that the youth complained that unscrupulous persons trapped them, as it was not their intention to involve themselves to smuggle heroin to the country to which all of them love very much or to bring a bad name for their homeland. Dr Fazlur Rahman said that he is aiming at collection of comprehensive data from all the cities of China where the Pakistani prisoners were undergoing jail terms.
So that their cases could be perused in a proper manner. He said that he had assured Pakistani prisoners that the Pakistan Embassy Beijing will make every effort to ensure a fair treatment according to the Chinese law and to slash their terms for an early return to their respective homes.