JAISALMER: A 27-year-old Indian jailed in Pakistan for illegally crossing the international border and later found to be battling mental illness was reunited with his family in Barmer on Sunday after 32 months, thanks to a Pakistani lawyer who heard about his plight on a TV channel and fought his case on humanitarian grounds.
Shabbir Ahmad of Janpaliya village in Barmer was reported missing after he left home for a dargah on October 23, 2021. It transpired that he had inadvertently crossed the international border and landed at Chacharo in Tharparkar district, where Pakistani Rangers nabbed him.
He was imprisoned in Hyderabad for 18 months before being shifted to a Karachi jail. Details about his unintended entry into Pakistan, imprisonment, and subsequent release with the help of Pakistani lawyer Roshan Ali Azeem came to light after Indian security agencies questioned both. Ahmad's family had reported him missing on Oct 24, 2021.
Lawyer Azeem told Indian interrogators that he met Shabbir at Chacharo police station after hearing about his case. A medical examination revealed that he had a mental condition, he said.
Azeem, who wanted to do his bit to improve bilateral relations between the neighbours, decided to represent Shabbir in court. By then, the Indian was on the verge of being sentenced to 10 years in jail. When Indian security agencies contacted Azeem to verify Shabbir's story, the Pakistani lawyer also released a video, corroborating the circumstances in which he crossed the border and was incarcerated for months before his luck turned.
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