New Delhi: Fifty-five Pakistani prisoners, who had been lodged in Tihar Jail since 2007 for illegally staying in India, have been released and are set for deportation.
The prisoners which included 19 women were released on
December 9 and will be deported to the United States and
Canada, sources said.
The Pakistani nationals, belonging to the Gowhar Shahi
sect, which was banned by the Pakistan government, were
arrested in April 2007 after they staged a demonstration here
seeking asylum in India on the ground that their life was at
risk back home. They also destroyed all their travel
documents.
In 2008, they moved the Delhi High Court pleading that
the Indian authorities be restrained from deporting them back
to Pakistan and they be granted refugee status.
Hearing their plea, the Delhi High Court had asked the
government to obtain clarification from UNHCR on the process
of granting asylum.
On December two, 2010, the High Court in its order said,
"the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is directed
to hear and dispose of the appeal filed by the petitioner,
which is pending before it, dated 20/2/2005 within a period of
one month from the date of receipt of this order by it. For
the said period of one month and two weeks thereafter, the
residents shall not deport the petitioner."
After hearing their plea, the UNHCR granted them refugee
status and decided to send them to the US and Canada.
During their detention, the number grew to 65 as some of
the ladies among the demonstrators were pregnant and gave
birth to children.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 16:19