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, including 19 women, were arrested in April 2007 when they burnt their passports and visas at Jantar Mantar as they refused to go back to their
country. They were released on December 9 and will be deported to the United States and Canada.
The jail officers confirmed that these Pakistani nationals were from a sect called Gauhar Shahi and they alleged that they are being tortured in their own country.
“After being selected for deportation they went through orientation classes in the jail. They have learnt the language and culture of Canada and US,” said a jail official.
On November 30, the Delhi high court ordered the lower court to dismiss all the criminal charges against them and following the order, the lower court dismissed the charges on December 7.
In 2008, these prisoners had moved the Delhi high court pleading that the Indian authorities be restrained from deporting them back to Pakistan and that they be granted refugee status.
After hearing their plea, the Delhi high court had asked the government to obtain clarification from UNHCR on the process of granting asylum to these Pakistani nationals.
On December 2, 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, 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 of the Pakistani nationals grew to 65 as some of the women among them were pregnant and gave birth to children during their stay here.