CHAGAI: The Iranian authorities on Tuesday handed over 14 convicted Pakistani prisoners to officials on this side of the Taftan border after they were released on humanitarian grounds.

According to official sources, due to not having valid passports, the prisoners were allowed after processing their manual immigration clearance at the FIA immigration centre in Taftan.

While confirming the development, Chagai Deputy Com­missioner Agha Sher Zaman told Dawn that the prisoners were handed over to the superintendent of Nushki District Jail, who later shifted them to Nushki Jail.

Sharing the development on Twitter, the Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran Rahim Hayat Qureshi wrote: “Pursuant to PM @ImranKhanPTI’s visit to #Iran & request to Pres @Hass­anRouhani for amnesty to Pakistani prisoners on humanitarian grounds, 14 Pak prisoners released today.#Pakistan Iran signed agreement on transfer of sentenced prisoners in 2014”.

Superintendent of Nushki District Jail Malik Samiullah told Dawn that the prisoners, who were released from Iran after being convicted in different cases, would be kept in Central Jail Quetta or in Mach for their remaining detention period. According to official sources it was the first batch of released prisoners whose return took place under the agreement of transfer of sentenced prisoners signed in 2014 between Pakistan and Iran.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2020