Indian prisoners in Pakistan
Case update: Madan Lal
Court seeks IG Prisons report
In response to a writ petition filed by Advocate Awais Sheikh before the Lahore High Court seeking answers to the question of who is Madan Lal and where he is now, the court has directed I.G Prison to submit a report on May 7, 2012.
Suraj Bhan, the brother of Madan Lal has for years been desperately struggling for his release from Pakistani prison. In December 2011, he met Lahore-based advocate Awais Sheikh who was visiting India, and informed him about his brother Madan Lal's tragic disappearance. He provided letters from the Indian External Affairs ministry and other related documents regarding the Madan Lal.
He said he had come to know that his brother Madan Lalentered Pakistan territory by mistake and was arrested. He contacted and sought help from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
In letters dated September 09, 2005, and August 16, 2007, the Ministry informedhim that Madan Lala "reportedly entered Pakistan territory in 1967 and was lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore. He was last seen in June 1984 in Bahawal Nagar jail. After that his whereabouts are not known. I have taken up the matter with High Commission of India, Islamabad to approach the government of
Pakistan to seek his Consular Access and repatriation to India."
Based on information provided by Suraj Bhan, the Indian High Commission has been requesting Pakistan to grant consular access to Madan Lal. The last communication in this regardfrom the Indian High Commission to the government of Pakistanwas made on July 18, 2008. With the permission of Home Seceretary, Punjab, Awais Sheikh met Superintendent Central Jail to meet Madan Lal but prison authorities informed him that there was no Madan Lal in their jail.
Awais Sheikh has also requested IG Prisons toprovide information about Madan Lal's whereabouts, but has received no positive response to date.
Responding to the writ petition filed in the Lahore High Court by Awais Sheikh, Justice Umer Atta Bandial issued a notice to the I.GPrison asking him to submit a report on May 7, 2012. "Although this is the matter of Human Rights, our constitution not only protects Pakistani citizens' rights but guarantees the rights of foreigners too," observed the court.
Mercy petition to President to be filed
Kuldip Singh, son of Chanda Singh was arrested from Shakar Garh,Pakistan on December 19, 1992 on charges of spying, was sentenced to lifeimprisonment by a military court on May 8,1996. He has completed 16 years in Central Jail Lahore.
His only son, Manmohan ("Rishu"), two years old when Kuldip Singh was arrested in Pakistan, is now 20 years old.
"I have not seen him since I left; how would he look when I meet him, my lovely son, my one and only," Kuldip Singh told advocate Awais Sheikh, who has taken up his case and that of other Indian prisoners on a humanitarian, voluntary basis. "My father died, my mother, now 75, is ill andgreatly desire to meet me in her lifetime. Every passing day is miserablefor herbut hope has not
diminished."
Kuldip Singh spent 42 months of his incarceration while under-trial, a period which has not been accounted for in his sentence as it should be. According to the law and the relevant rules, this period should be included in his total sentence, which would mean he hascompleted 16 years of hisawarded sentence.
Awais Sheikh is trying for his early release. "I am desperately trying to contact his son Manmohan (Rishu) in order to obtain power of attorneyfrom him,to get permissionfrom the Home Secretary Punjab to meethim in Central Jail Lahore," informed Mr Sheikh in an email. He said he is planning to file a mercy petition to the Pakistan President seeking his clemency on humanitarian grounds.
Lahore-based advocate Awais Sheikh has taken on the Indian prisoners' cases gratis, in humanity's name, for the sake of peace and goodwill. He can be reached at awaissheikhadvocate@hotmail.com
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Court seeks IG Prisons report
In response to a writ petition filed by Advocate Awais Sheikh before the Lahore High Court seeking answers to the question of who is Madan Lal and where he is now, the court has directed I.G Prison to submit a report on May 7, 2012.
Suraj Bhan, the brother of Madan Lal has for years been desperately struggling for his release from Pakistani prison. In December 2011, he met Lahore-based advocate Awais Sheikh who was visiting India, and informed him about his brother Madan Lal's tragic disappearance. He provided letters from the Indian External Affairs ministry and other related documents regarding the Madan Lal.
He said he had come to know that his brother Madan Lalentered Pakistan territory by mistake and was arrested. He contacted and sought help from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
In letters dated September 09, 2005, and August 16, 2007, the Ministry informedhim that Madan Lala "reportedly entered Pakistan territory in 1967 and was lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore. He was last seen in June 1984 in Bahawal Nagar jail. After that his whereabouts are not known. I have taken up the matter with High Commission of India, Islamabad to approach the government of
Pakistan to seek his Consular Access and repatriation to India."Based on information provided by Suraj Bhan, the Indian High Commission has been requesting Pakistan to grant consular access to Madan Lal. The last communication in this regardfrom the Indian High Commission to the government of Pakistanwas made on July 18, 2008. With the permission of Home Seceretary, Punjab, Awais Sheikh met Superintendent Central Jail to meet Madan Lal but prison authorities informed him that there was no Madan Lal in their jail.
Awais Sheikh has also requested IG Prisons toprovide information about Madan Lal's whereabouts, but has received no positive response to date.
Responding to the writ petition filed in the Lahore High Court by Awais Sheikh, Justice Umer Atta Bandial issued a notice to the I.GPrison asking him to submit a report on May 7, 2012. "Although this is the matter of Human Rights, our constitution not only protects Pakistani citizens' rights but guarantees the rights of foreigners too," observed the court.
Mercy petition to President to be filed
Kuldip Singh, son of Chanda Singh was arrested from Shakar Garh,Pakistan on December 19, 1992 on charges of spying, was sentenced to lifeimprisonment by a military court on May 8,1996. He has completed 16 years in Central Jail Lahore.
His only son, Manmohan ("Rishu"), two years old when Kuldip Singh was arrested in Pakistan, is now 20 years old.
"I have not seen him since I left; how would he look when I meet him, my lovely son, my one and only," Kuldip Singh told advocate Awais Sheikh, who has taken up his case and that of other Indian prisoners on a humanitarian, voluntary basis. "My father died, my mother, now 75, is ill andgreatly desire to meet me in her lifetime. Every passing day is miserablefor herbut hope has not
diminished."
Kuldip Singh spent 42 months of his incarceration while under-trial, a period which has not been accounted for in his sentence as it should be. According to the law and the relevant rules, this period should be included in his total sentence, which would mean he hascompleted 16 years of hisawarded sentence.
Awais Sheikh is trying for his early release. "I am desperately trying to contact his son Manmohan (Rishu) in order to obtain power of attorneyfrom him,to get permissionfrom the Home Secretary Punjab to meethim in Central Jail Lahore," informed Mr Sheikh in an email. He said he is planning to file a mercy petition to the Pakistan President seeking his clemency on humanitarian grounds.
Lahore-based advocate Awais Sheikh has taken on the Indian prisoners' cases gratis, in humanity's name, for the sake of peace and goodwill. He can be reached at awaissheikhadvocate@hotmail.com
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The cost of conflict-V
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The fishermen's woes
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Out at sea and out of touch with their families for 10-15 days at a time, the fishermen who eke out a precarious living along the coastal area betwe .....more
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The News on Sunday Special Report: India Pakistan prisoners
We probably didn't need to do this Special Report. Newspaper stories don't matter when it comes to Indians in Pakistani jails and vice versa. In fact, 'vice versa' sums it up. We do to them what they do to us.
Except when the two countries decide to begin talking, yet again! This time a little before the foreign secretary level talks, some Pakistani prisoners were released by India (and vice versa must have happened) and some more were release....read more
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For the past 2 years the Jang Group and Geo have been working on a project of great national interest; one that we hope will help usher in an era of peace and prosperity in the country and indeed, in the region. And one that hopefully all Pakistanis can be proud of.
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