Government seeks prisoner’s release from Pakistan jail

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday met the family of Indian prisoner Hamid Nehal Ansari, who was attacked at least thrice by inmates in a Peshawar jail, and assured them of all possible help. Ms Swaraj had last week directed the Indian high commissioner in Pakistan to seek consular access to Ansari.

Ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup said India has again “strongly” taken up the issue of Ansari’s security with Pakistani authorities in the wake of reports that he was attacked inside the jail.

“On August 5, we have again strongly taken up the matter of the security of Hamid Ansari while he is in the custody of Pakistani authorities. This was done specifically in the light of reports that he was attacked again in prison in which he is lodged. We have reminded the government of Pakistan of its responsibility to ensure his security,” Mr Swarup said, adding, “We have also conveyed that according to our understanding, since his sentence of three years is already over, he should be released and repatriated to India at the earliest.” Ms Swaraj met the family of Ansari and assured that the government will keep pursuing his case with Pakistan.

Ansari, a Mumbai resident, was arrested in 2012 for illegally entering Pakistan from Afghanistan reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online. He had suffered injuries after he was attacked by inmates in the Peshawar prison.

According to news agency reports, 31-year-old Ansari was earlier sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by a military court for possessing a fake Pakistani identity card. Ansari’s lawyer Qazi Mohammad Anwar told the Peshawar high court on Thursday that his client was attacked at least thrice by jail inmates in recent months.

Mr Anwar told the court that Ansari had been kept in a death cell with a hardened criminal awaiting execution for a murder. He was attacked and injured three times over the last couple of months and shifted to the hospital for treatment, the counsel said. He said even the head warden would subject him to brutality and slap him on a daily basis without any reason