BAHAWALPUR, Nov 11: The dawn of the coming Nov 14 will not be just another day for Sohail Shahzad but the day which will afford him an opportunity to savour the sweet smell of freedom after spending 21 years of his life in Indian jails.Hailing from Bahawalpur, Sohail is expected to set foot on the home soil along with many other captives on Friday. An intimation to the effect had been conveyed by Sohail Shahzad’s counsel Balwant Singh Biloria (New Delhi) to his nephew Muhammad Anas by telephone. Mr Biloria had been Shahzad’s lawyer who fought his case of illegal detention in Jaipur jail in the Supreme Court of India.

Anas told Dawn that he had received information from across the border that his uncle Sohail Shahzad, 51, would be among the 30 prisoners who would be handed over to Pakistani officials at the Wagah border on Nov 14. He said after telephonic talk with his uncle’s lawyer in New Delhi, he contacted the interior ministry which confirmed the news.

It is learnt that the Pakistan’s Judicial Committee, headed by Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid (retired), had paved the way for Sohail’s release. The committee had paid a visit to various Indian jails in September last to ascertain facts about detention of Pakistani nationals there.

During inspection of Jaipur jail, the committee also met Sohail Shahzad who informed the visitors of his ordeal. He said he had been languishing

in various prisons even after serving the sentence for being implicated in scores of criminal cases and was inhumanly treated.

The committee recommended his release and fixed Sept 30 as the deadline for his release.

It was on March 25, 1988, that Sohail Shahzad of Fauji Basti went along with his friends to attend a marriage at Mauza Baseerpur, Pakpattan. He went to the border area belt and crossed into Indian territory by mistake where the Indian Border Security Force took him into custody.

A court sentenced him to imprisonment. Even after serving the sentence, he was implicated in many cases and shifted to different jails in India. His father Manzoor Hussain died waiting for him while his mother Nafees Anjum, in her 70s, and other members of the family are eagerly awaiting his return.