ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday submitted its response in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), saying the country has so far released seven of eight Indian nationals detained on charges of espionage.
The information was submitted by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior during the hearing of a petition of the Indian High Commission seeking the release of those eight Indian citizens who had been convicted by Pakistan’s military courts of spying and who had completed their respective terms.
Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokhar informed the court that only one Indian national was jailed the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
“Five prisoners were returned to India on October 26, two more were released after completion of their prison terms,” the state counsel said.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah wondered if there were other prisoners who were sentenced by the military courts. He also asked under which law the prisoners were kept in detention even after the completion of their sentence period.
“The prisoners who have completed their terms should be released from jail according to the law,” the judge remarked.
The court ordered the state to convince it over the matter in the next hearing and adjourned further the case until November 9.
Meanwhile, the court granted more time to counsel of the Indian High Commission for the preparation of arguments.
Aparna Ray of the Indian High Commission had filed the petition in the IHC through advocate Malik Shahnawz Noon. It sought the release of Birju Dung Dung alias Birchu, Vigyan Kumar Ghanshyam Kumar and Satish Bhog confined in Central Jail, Lahore, and Sonu Singh confined in Central Jail, Karachi.
The petition said the four convicts had completed their respective jail sentences.
