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Pak seeks probe into death of national

Source:PTI
March 12, 2008 19:51 IST

Pakistan asked India to investigate the death of its national in judicial custody under "mysterious" circumstances and share the findings with it.

Islamabad regretted that India "did not inform" the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi about the arrest of Khalid Mehmood as required under the international diplomatic norms, and said the incident negated the spirit of recent bilateral agreement on establishment of a judicial committee on prisoners.

The 35-year-old Mehmood, hailing from Lahore, had come to watch the India-Pakistan cricket match in Kanpur in April 2005. He had been given visa for 16 days, effective from April 4, but he did not return and reportedly went missing.

He was arrested a year later when he was found roaming aimlessly in Faridabad township near Delhi and jailed for overstaying his visa permit. He died on February 12 at AIIMS in New Delhi where he had been admitted on falling ill in a Gurgaon jail.

"The Indian authorities did not provide consular access during the custody of late Khalid Mehmood," Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq told a news briefing in Islamabad.

"As soon as his death was reported to our high commission, the Indian external affairs ministry was asked to make a thorough investigation and to share the outcome with the mission."

He said Pakistan was in touch with India and had asked New Delhi to "specify the charges under which the deceased was detained, explain the circumstances of his death and provide any other relevant information."

Sadiq said the incident had "dampened" the goodwill generated by the recent release of the Indian prisoner Kashmir Singh. It also negated the spirit of the recent Pakistan-India agreement on the establishment of a Judicial Committee on Prisoners, he said.

"We remind the Indian authorities of their obligation to ensure humane treatment of all Pakistani prisoners in their custody," the spokesman said, adding "our efforts for early repatriation of Pakistani prisoners will continue."

Sadiq aid media reports of "torture and inhumane treatment" meted out to Mehmood during the custody merit strong condemnation

The Pakistan high commission in New Delhi has written to the ministry of external affairs seeking "full investigation" into the death of Mehmood.

The high commission has asked the Indian government to apprise it about the result of the investigation, sources in the mission said.

The body of Mehmood was handed over to Pakistani authorities at Attari border on Monday.

Source: PTI
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