ISLAMABAD, March 12: Pakistan on Wednesday demanded an explanation from India about the mysterious death of a Pakistani man who had gone to India to watch a cricket match in 2005, but was arrested and denied consular access. He later died in an Indian prison.
Khalid Mahmood, 30, died on Feb 12 but his family in Pakistan was informed about his death on March 4.
“It is regrettable that India did not inform Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi about the arrest of the deceased as required under international diplomatic norms in such cases,” Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq told newsmen at his weekly briefing.
He said that Pakistan was shocked and angered at the death of Mr Khalid in mysterious circumstances and it had asked the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to get the matter thoroughly investigated and share the outcome with Pakistan.
Conveying Pakistan’s resentment over the tragic death of the cricket fan, he said the incident had dampened the goodwill generated by the recent release of Indian prisoner Kashmir Singh who was pardoned by President Pervez Musharraf.
On reaching India, Singh stated that he worked as an Indian spy in Pakistan.
Mr Sadiq said Singh had been released on humanitarian grounds.
“We hoped the gesture would be reciprocated but, instead, the body of a Pakistani national was handed over to us by India.”
The spokesman said that Mr Khalid’s death in detention had negated the spirit of a recent Pakistan-India agreement on establishment of a judicial committee on prisoners.
The first meeting of the Pakistan-India Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners, recently held in New Delhi, had recommended exchange of consolidated lists of prisoners by March 31 this year, release of detainees who had completed their sentences and provision of consular access to others.
The number of Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails is 450 and that of Indian prisoners in Pakistani prisons 500.
Mr Sadiq said that Pakistan had demanded humane treatment of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails.
The spokesman said that Mr Khalid’s death wouldn’t affect the peace process.
“Composite dialogue will continue despite the incident.”
In reply to a question about the US State Department’s annual report on human rights violations in Pakistan, the spokesman said that details of the report were being sought and an appropriate government body would respond to it.
Answering a question about the missing Ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin, the spokesman said he was hopeful of his early release. Mr Azizuddin was kidnapped from Khyber Agency’s tribal area on Feb 11 while he was going to Afghanistan
In reply to a question about the release of 13 bonded labourers still detained in Iran, the spokesman said that names of the detainees had been handed over to Iranian authorities and their location had been identified.
Thirty-six bonded labourers were held in Iran and 23 of them have been released.
