337 Indian prisoners, including fishermen, believed to be in Pak's custody: Govt
New Delhi: A total of 337 Indian prisoners, including fishermen, are believed to be in Pakistan's custody, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha.
The neighbouring country has acknowledged the custody of 261 of them, he said.
In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the minister said 270 Indian fishermen have been in Pakistan's custody for less than five years.
However, Pakistan has, so far acknowledged the custody of 207 Indian fishermen, Muraleedharan said .
In a written reply to a separate question, the minister said India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan.
"Our consistent position is that issues, if any, between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally and peacefully, in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence," he said.
"The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere, including by taking credible, verifiable and irreversible action to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross-border terrorism against India in any manner," Muraleedharan said.
He said as a result of "persistent efforts", the Indian government has been successful in securing the release and repatriation of 2,100 Indian fishermen, from Pakistan's custody since 2014.
Thirty-four other Indian civilians have spent less than five years in Pakistan's prisons, the minister mentioned.
"As per available information, 337 Indian prisoners, including fishermen, are believed to be in Pakistan's custody.
"However, as per the lists exchanged between the Governments of India and Pakistan on January 1 ,2020, Pakistan has acknowledged the custody of 261 Indian prisoners, including fishermen, in its custody," he said.
Muraleedharan said 19 Indian civilians have spent between five to 10 years in Pakistan's prisons, 11 Indians have spent 10-15 years and three Indians have spent more than 15 years.
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Pawan Khera denied anticipatory bail in passport case: Cong stands up for senior member
New Delhi: The Congress party has stood by Pawan Khera, the Chairman of the party’s Media and Publicity Department, expressing confidence that regardless of hurdles like politics of threat and intimidation, justice would emerge victorious.
Khera was denied anticipatory bail by the Gauhati High Court on Friday in the case filed against him by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma for alleging that she possessed not only multiple passports but also undisclosed properties abroad.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said in a post in Hindi on his ‘X’ account, “The entire Indian National Congress stands in solidarity with Pawan Khera, the Chairman of its Media and Publicity Department. The process to challenge the Gauhati High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court is underway.” In the post, which he put up on Friday, Ramesh has added, “We are confident that justice will prevail over the politics of threats, intimidation, and harassment.”
Bhuyan Sarma has lodged also an FIR seeking legal action against Pawan Khera for his allegations that she possesses passports of three countries and owns a company in the US, which had invested Rs. 50,000 crores. She has filed criminal cases against the Congress leader at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
