Pakistan Court tasks on Pak Government for not releasing Indian national, Hamid Nehal Ansari

Pakistan Court has taken on Pakistan Government to task on the imprisonment of Indian National Hamid Nehal Ansari and not releasing him.

Peshawar High Court heard Hamid Nehal Ansari’s case and the  Court has ordered the Federal Ministry of Interior (MoI) to complete Hamid Nehal’s release within one month. Justice Rooh ul Amin said questioned the imprisonment of Ansari, considering the completion of his sentence. 

"How can somebody not be released despite them completing their sentence. Interior should have made adequate arrangements for Hamid Nehal’s release. Where will you be keeping Hamid Nehal after his release?" Justice Rooh ul Amin asks Ministry of Interior’s lawyer 

To which, the Ministry of Interior has said that they have an agreement with India which says that they can keep their prisoner for upto one month despite them completing their sentence.

The MoI lawyer further said that the Ministry of Interior will complete the process of Hamid Nehal’s release within one month.

The Court has notified MoI to submit a detailed report on Hamid Nehal’s release to the court within 14 days. The case has been adjourned till 16th January 2016

As per the Pakistan Court's announcement on August 18, the sentence of Ansari ends on December 14 but he is not being released on December 15. 

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The Indian software engineer from Mumbai was has been jailed since 2015 in the Pakistan prison. He was arrested for allegedly entering Pakistan illegally, without relevant documents six years ago. He was known to enter the country after falling in love with a girl, whom he allegedly met on the internet. 

He was missing for three years before his arrest. Pakistani authorities claim that Ansari used fake identity under the name of 'Hamza' and entered Pakistan via Afghanistan. 

In November 2017, Ansari filed a petition with the High Court, pleading not to be treated as a spy, soliciting no involvement in anti-state activities. 

In August 2016, Union Minister Sushma Swaraj had notified the Indian high commissioner in Pakistan to seek consular access of the accused. Ansari was attacked at least three times by inmates.

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Ansari's lawyer Qazi Muhammad Anwar told the Peshawar High Court bench that his client had been kept in a death cell with a hardened criminal awaiting execution for a murder.