Date:25/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/25/stories/2007052521090100.htm

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Kin of missing soldiers can tour Pak jails

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Foreign Ministry on Thursday gave the green signal for country-wide tour of jails by relatives of missing Indian soldiers who they believe are still being held as prisoners of war in this country.

The Foreign Ministry has given 13 relatives of missing Indian soldiers permission to tour at least 10 jails in Pakistan including in the cities of Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi, Sukkur and Hyderabad.

Visit from May 28

They will be able to visit these places over a period of two weeks from May 28. Officials of the Indian High Commission will accompany them.

An Indian official confirmed the High Commission had received the permission from the Pakistan Foreign Ministry.

Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee raised the issue of Indian "prisoners of war" in Pakistan in talks with President Pervez Musharraf during his visit here in January.

Pakistan's oft-stated position is that it is not holding any Indian prisoners of war. But President Musharraf immediately responded by offering an invitation to the families of the missing soldiers to visit Pakistan and reassure themselves.

He is reported to have told Mr. Mukherjee that as a soldier, he could understand the grief of the families of the missing men.