ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday lodged a strong protest with India over the extrajudicial killing of Tabarak Hussain, a Pakistani national in an Indian Army Hospital in Rajouri and also rejected the Indian government’s claims that the inmate died of cardiac arrest.
“The Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a strong protest was registered over the extrajudicial killing of Tabarak Hussain, a Pakistani national in an Indian Army Hospital in Rajouri, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK),” Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in a statement.
He said that the Indian Charge d’Affaires was told to convey to his government Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the killing of Tabarak Hussain, a mentally-challenged Pakistani national who had inadvertently crossed the border at Naushera in Rajouri district on August 21, 2022, and was mercilessly shot by Indian security forces.
“The Charge d’Affaires was conveyed Pakistan’s outright rejection of the claim that Tabarak Hussain died of “cardiac arrest” as purported by the Indian authorities as well as the mischievous narrative being spun that Hussain had been sent by the Pakistan Army,” he stated
He further stated that the Indian diplomat was reminded that the Indian claims held no water, as Tabarak Hussain being of unsound mental health, had inadvertently crossed the border in 2016 as well and had been repatriated to Pakistan after serving a 26-month-long prison term.
He said that it was underscored that this incident had further heightened Pakistan’s serious concerns over the safety, security and well-being of other Pakistanis in Indian custody.
He said that the Charge d’Affaires was also reminded of another brutal extrajudicial killing of a Pakistani prisoner, Muhammed Ali Hussain, by the Indian authorities recently.
“Government of India has been called upon to share the details of this particular incident, including a credible postmortem report to determine the cause of death and undertake a transparent investigation to bring to account whoever is responsible for the murder of the Pakistani prisoner. Prompt and expeditious repatriation of the mortal remains of the deceased to Pakistan, as per the wishes of his family was also demanded,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022