ISLAMABAD, March 12: India will free 124 Pakistanis detained in different jails of the Occupied Kashmir by March 31, disclosed Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party chief Bhem Singh.

Speaking at a press conference here on Sunday Mr Singh said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had directed the Jammu and Kashmir home minister to screen and deport all those Pakistanis who had completed their jail term.

He said most of them were presently in jails for over eight years under the Public Safety Act and pointed out that no one could be kept behind the bars for more than two years under the act.

He said the apex court of India had passed an order on September 27, 2005 directing the Ministry of Home Affairs of the central government to monitor the cases and file an affidavit within four weeks explaining the status of all these persons detained from time to time under the orders of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the court observed that “Unfortunately, no steps have been taken in pursuance of various previous orders passed by this court. All the parties are complaining against each other and blaming each other for non-compliance of the orders”.

Bhem Singh said that the court had asked the Home Ministry to clearly state as to what was the position of detention orders with respect to such persons and whether the period of detention had already expired. In cases where the detention of any detenu has expired, the ministry was asked to state as to what steps were being taken for their release.

Bhem Singh said that he had invited the attention of the prime minister to the plight of these detainees languishing in jails despite various orders passed by the courts. He said no charge had been framed against them under which they could be sent to the jail for over three to four years.

He appealed to President General Pervez Musharraf to free all those Indian nationals, who had completed their terms in Pakistani jails.