Presidential pardon: Indian prisoner freed after 27 years
Presidential pardon: Indian prisoner freed after 27 years
Published: March 27, 2011
WikiLeaks reveals that Pakistan scrambled jets, put air force on alert after the call.
President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday pardoned Gopal Das, an Indian prisoner who had been languishing in a jail in Lahore for the past 27 years.
According to Express 24/7 correspondent Sohail Chaudhry, Das was pardoned on humanitarian grounds.
The presidents spokesperson Farhatullah Babar also confirmed the presidential pardon to the media.
It is the first such appeal considered by President Zardari on the behest of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, reported Chaudhry.
It is seen as a goodwill gesture against the backdrop of the prime ministers visit to India and the upcoming Pak-India talks.
Earlier, the Indian Supreme Court had appealed to Pakistan to release Das to foster friendship between two countries.
A bench comprising Justices Markandeya Katju and Gyan Sudha Mishra had said it can only appeal to the Pakistan government for his release as Indian courts do not have any powers to give directions to other countries.
We cannot give any directions to Pakistan authorities because we have no jurisdiction over them. Indian authorities have done all that they could in the matter. However, that does not prevent us from making a request to Pakistani authorities to consider appeal of the petitioner for releasing him on humanitarian grounds by remitting remaining part of his sentence. At any event, we think it appropriate to make an appeal on humanitarian grounds to Pakistan authorities to release the petitioner as he has served almost 27 years in jail, the apex court of India had said in an order.
The order had been passed while disposing off a petition filed by family members of Das, who had complained about his incarceration in a Lahore jail even after serving his sentence.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/138418/presidential-pardon-indian-prisoner-freed-after-27-years/
