ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told the Senate on Friday the Indonesian government had stopped the execution of Zulfiqar Ali, who is on death row in a prison there, after the issue was taken up with the authorities in Jakarta.

Speaking on a point of order, he said the Foreign Office and the Prime Minister’s Office intervened in the matter soon after the issue had emerged. He was personally following the case, Mr Dar added.

According to the Foreign Office, Zulfiqar Ali was arrested on drug trafficking charges in Bogor, Indonesia, in November 2004. A district court handed down a death sentence to him in 2005 and a higher court upheld the decision in 2006.

The charges were framed against him on the basis of a statement given by a witness, who was himself sentenced to death. Zulfiqar Ali’s two appeals for judicial review, filed in 2008 and 2013, were turned down and he filed a clemency/mercy appeal with the Indonesian president.

450 FISHERMEN: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz told the house that Indian authorities arrested 450 Pakistani fishermen in the past five years, 395 of whom were later released.

Speaking during the question hour, Mr Aziz said the fishermen were arrested allegedly for entering Indian waters illegally.

“Whenever an arrest is brought to our notice, Pakistan requests the Indian authorities for consular access, to collect information on the detainee and establish whether he or she is indeed a Pakistani citizen,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2016

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