By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan Friday expressed its deep concern over the treatment of Pakistani prisoners held in Indian jails.
“The issue has been under the focus of the government at all levels and has been raised at the highest levels with the Indian side,” foreign office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said when commenting on the arrival of two bodies of Pakistani prisoners from India.
The bodies of two Pakistani prisoners Rashida Bibi and Abdul Alim who died in Indian prisons earlier this year were received by Pakistani officials at Wahga border on Friday, according to the News Network International news agency.
“We have called upon the Indian authorities to thoroughly investigate the causes leading to the deaths of these unfortunate Pakistani prisoners held in India,” Sadiq said.
“We have also asked the Indian government to ensure humane treatment of Pakistani prisoners held in their jails, provision of updated information on Pakistani prisoners and consular access, and early repatriation of those Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentences,” he said.
The NNI quoted Sadiq as saying that these demands were well within the international human rights norms and had been agreed by the two governments in the recently signed Consular Access Agreement.
“We hope that the Pakistan-India Judicial Committee on Prisoners will take cognizance of the matter during its forthcoming visit to India for meeting Pakistani prisoners held in India,” he said.