ISLAMABAD: Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday referred a petition, filed by the Indian High Commission seeking release of four Indian spies, to Chief Justice Athar Minallah for onward proceedings.

Justice Minallah is heading a larger bench of the IHC that is hearing a petition of the Ministry of Law and Justice for appointment of defence counsel for Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the Indian intelligence agency.

Seeking release of four other Indian spies, Indian High Commission official Aparna Ray filed the petition.

They had been convicted by Pakistan’s military courts of spying. According to the petition, they have completed their respective prison terms.

Indian High Commission official has filed petition

The Indian High Commission sought the release of Birju Dung alias Birchu, Vigyan Kumar Ghnshyam Kumar and Satish Bhog confined in Central Jail, Lahore, and Sonu Singh confined in Central Jail, Karachi.

The petition said these prisoners “have served out their respective sentences awarded to them by the military courts i.e. Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan”.

The petition stated that the “prisoners were arrested by Pakistan military authorities and were charged under Section 59 of the Pakistan Army Act, 1954, and provisions of Official Secret Act, 1923”.

They “have not committed any offences”, it claimed.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2020