Date:12/09/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/09/12/stories/2005091218540100.htm

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Freed prisoners heading for Wagah

Staff Reporter

152 Pakistanis imprisoned in various Indian jails are being released as part of a pact

A SMILE AT LAST: Pakistani prisoner Muhammad Babar, who was released from Alwar jail after spending 15 years there, waves as he boarded the train to go to Wagah border, at New Delhi Railway Station on Sunday. Photo: R V Moorthy

NEW DELHI: Muhammad Babar, the Pakistani prisoner who is being released by the Indian authorities as part of the prisoner-exchange pact, boarded the Frontier Mail for Amritsar at New Delhi railway station on Sunday evening.

Babar is being released after 15 years of imprisonment at Alwar Jail. An emotional Babar recalled his sister's indefatigable struggle to convince the Pakistani authorities to accept him as a Pakistani national, which cleared the hurdles for his release. He said he was arrested when he had crossed over to Rajasthan to buy a gift for his fiancée.

About Sarabjit Singh's case, he said: "It is because of his case that the governments of both countries are paying heed to the plights of prisoners like me. Just like my sister, his sister also has struggled hard to secure his release. Justice would be done by letting him return to his family," said Babar.

PTI reports from Amritsar:

The stage was set for another high in bilateral peace process when India and Pakistan exchange nearly 500 civilian prisoners at the Wagah border near here on Monday.

Pakistani prisoners were brought here from different Indian jails in the States to be handed over to Pakistani authorities.

India agreed to release 152 Pakistani prisoners while Pakistan agreed to set free 435 jailed Indian prisoners which includes 371 fishermen.

Among the 152 Pakistani prisoners, 101 were fishermen who were caught while fishing in Indian waters.

So far, 96 prisoners from Rajasthan, Gujarat and various parts of Punjab have reached Central Jail in Amritsar where they would be spending their last night on Indian soil before proceeding to Wagah.

Of the 101 Pakistani civilians to be freed, 20 would be released from Rajasthan prisons, 10 from Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, six from West Bengal, 31 from Jammu and Kashmir, one each from Nagaland and Maharashtra and two from Delhi.

Among the two released from Delhi, one Pakistani national was set free from Lampur Leperosy house owned by Delhi Social Welfare Department.

The Central Jail of Amritsar has turned into a virtual make-shift camp where Jail Superintendent Captain S P Singh was busy with his prison register entering names of Pakistani prisoners arriving here from different States.

``I have the orders to accept any prisoner at any time of the night even,'' said Mr. Singh to query.

He said so far prisoners from only Rajasthan, Gujarat and various jails of Punjab had assembled at the Central Jail while the remaining were expected late in the night or early Monday morning.

The 152 Indian prisoners also comprise 42 people who were either deaf or dumb.