May 07, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1, 1429

NEW DELHI, May 6: Despite repeated requests by Pakistan, India has failed to hand over the body of Pakistani national Muhammed Akram who died in the Amritsar jail on April 26 under mysterious circumstances.

This is the second such incident in two months which reflects the plight of hundreds of Pakistani prisoners languishing in Indian jails for minor offences.

In February this year, a young man from Lahore, Khalid Mehmood, died in the Gurgaon jail under mysterious circumstances.

An official of the Pakistan High Commission told newsmen here on Tuesday that the High Commission immediately contacted the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, in writing and by telephone, when it heard the news of Muhammed Akram’s death.

India did not inform the Pakistan High Commission about his death. And even after 10 days, the body was still lying in Amritsar, the official said.

The grief-stricken family has contacted the Pakistan Foreign office for receiving the body of the young man. They visit the Wagah border almost daily in the hope the body would arrive.

The official said that the name of Muhammed Akram was not included in the list of 147 prisoners provided by India to Pakistan although under a bilateral agreement, India was bound to inform Pakistan immediately about Pakistani nationals taken into custody.

The official said that after two and half months, India had not provided the medical report about the death of Khalid Mehmood.

Paikistan has taken humanitarian gestures, like releasing Kashmir Singh and postponing the execution of convicted terrorist Sarbajit Singh, but there is no reciprocity from the Indian side.