India-Pak judicial panel meets Pakistani prisoners at Jaipur jail

JAIPUR: India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners visited Jaipur Central Jail on Tuesday to meet Pakistani inmates and discuss the ways and means to expedite their repatriation and other related issues.
A senior Jaipur jail officer said the committee comprised of India's former Justice M A Khan and Pakistani former Justices Mian Muhammad Ajmal and Abdul Qadir Chaudhry.
"About 170 prisoners from various jails in Rajasthan and Gujarat had been transported to Jaipur Central Jail for this meeting. The committee members held a one-to-one meeting with Pakistani prisoners," said the officer.
The meeting continued for almost six hours in which several issues related to fast trial, speedy extradition after completion of prison term and basic facilities in the prisons were discussed, added the officer.
"The committee members asked the prisoners whether they were getting the basic facilities in the Indian jails," said the officer. The committee members were of the view that the inmates should be provided timely legal aid. They also recommended a speedy trial of Pak prisoners and fast repatriation after completion of their prison sentence.
Several Pak inmates are languishing in a detention center in Alwar even after completing their prison sentence. Pakistan authorities and the home ministry have failed to complete the repatriation formalities in time and this is the reason behind this delay, said sources. Some of these Pak nationals are undergoing psychiatric treatment.