Govt Providing Legal Assistance To Prisoners Detained In Central Asian States: NA Told

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published January 18, 2019 | 02:41 PM

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the National Assembly on Friday that the Pakistani missions abroad were providing legal assistance and maintaining constant liaison to ensure well being of prisoners detained in Central Asian states

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jan, 2019 ) :The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the National Assembly on Friday that the Pakistani missions abroad were providing legal assistance and maintaining constant liaison to ensure well being of prisoners detained in Central Asian states.

In a written reply, the ministry told the house here that the nine Pakistani prisoners in jails of Kyrgyz Republic were detained on charges of fake travel documents, murder, human trafficking, defrauding Pakistani and foreign students and entry into Kyrgyzstan without travel documents.

The Pakistani mission was maintaining constant liaison to ensure their well being.

A Memorandum of Understanding for exchange of prisoners was under process. In three cases the embassy has hired a lawyer and approached the local government at appropriate level. The embassy's lawyer was pursuing the case.

One prisoner was held in jail in Kazakhstan on drug smuggling.

The embassy is providing consular access on regular basis. However, any legal or financial assistance is not provided to drug traffickers and smugglers as directed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Two persons were detained in Tajikistan because of forged documents and drug smuggling. The mission in Tajikistan provided legal assistance and Foreign Minister specially requested Tajik government for clemency for these two Pakistanis. The mission maintains constant contact with them to ensure their well being.

Four Pakistani prisoners were in jail in Azerbaijan on charges of sexual assault and forged documents. The mission remains in contact with all prisoners and daily use items/ edible are provided. The mission is also pursuing the matter with theconcerned Pakistani authorities for early ratification of the agreement ontransfer of convicts.