ISLAMABAD, Dec. 13: Ali Mohammed al Shamsi, the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Pakistan and non-resident ambassador to Afghanistan, said he was trying to secure release of all the Pakistanis languishing in different jails of Afghanistan and their repatriation to Pakistan as early as possible.

Talking to Dawn the UAE envoy said after the Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf released 650 Afghan prisoners from Pakistani jails, it gave him the basis to ask the Afghan government to reciprocate the gesture.

“In the beginning they (Afghan authorities) were reluctant and agreed to release few prisoners. But I urged them to match the number of prisoners released by Pakistan. We succeeded in getting about half the number (around 350) released from the jails in Afghanistan. The prisoners in Panjsher jail are particularly in a very bad condition,” Ali Mohammad Al-Shamsi said.

Regarding the conditions in which the prisoners were kept in Afghan jails, the UAE envoy said now they were being treated very well and good facilities were being provided to them.

“Earlier the situation was very bad, especially the Taliban, who were in Kunduz or in northern or western parts of Afghanistan, were treated very badly. I have not seen it myself but I have heard that those prisoners were kept in containers for four or five days and they were killed and buried. Those prisoners were treated badly and in all violations of human rights and international laws,” Ali Mohammad Al-Shamsi said.

“However, now the conditions have improved a great deal. Now they are being kept in good conditions, provided good food and at some places even heating arrangements have been made for them, which is indeed something good,” the UAE envoy told Dawn.

He said he himself visited a Kabul jail where conditions were much better and added that the officials of the embassy were sent to Panjsher jail and other areas. He said at many places there were no jails and prisoners were kept in homes.

“Most of such prisoners are not in custody of the Afghan government but in the control of Afghan warlords. We, in collaboration with the Afghan government are trying to make lists of these people and efforts are being made to get them released,” the UAE envoy said.

He said the UAE wanted to help Muslim brethren held in jails in both the countries and in the process also tried to build Pak-Afghan relations on more solid grounds.

“The UAE has very good relations with Pakistan. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, the President of the UAE, wants Pakistan and Afghanistan to enjoy similar warm and friendly relations between them,” Ali Mohammad Al-Shamsi said.

“The UAE president told the Afghan President Hamid Karzai that he wanted him to have as good relations with Pakistan as UAE has and he (Mr Karzai) agreed to it. Sheikh Zayed told him to forget what had happened in the past and establish good relations with its neighbours, especially with Pakistan. Alhamdolillah, we have achieved this goal and established very good relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” the UAE envoy said.