Pakistan releases Indian prisoner Hamid Nihal Ansari after 6 years

Pakistan on Monday released Indian prisoner Hamid Nihal Ansari, who was detained by country's intelligence ncies in 2012 and subsequently sentenced to three years' imprisonment by a military court in 2015 for possessing a fake Pakistani identity card.

Ansari, a 33-year-old Mumbai resident, was lodged in Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by military court on December 15, 2015. His three-year jail term ended on December 15, 2018 but he was t able to leave for India as his legal documents were t rey.

On December 13, Peshawar High Court gave federal government a month deline to complete his repatriation process.

"Ansari is being released upon completion of his sentence and is being repatriated to India," Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohamm Faisal said.

He claimed that Ansari was an "Indian spy who h illegally entered Pakistan and was involved in anti-state crimes and forging documents." 

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Ansari went missing after he was taken into custody by Pakistani intelligence ncies and local police in Kohat in 2012 and finally in reply to a habeas corpus petition filed by his mor, Fauzia Ansari, high court was informed that he was in custody of Pakistan Army and was being tried by a military court. 

He entered Pakistan from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a girl he h befriended online.

A two-judge Peshawar High Court bench, comprising Justice Roohul Amin and Justice Qalandar Ali Khan, on Thursday heard an appeal filed by Ansari through his lawyer Qazi Muhamm Anwar.

Anwar informed bench that both Ministry of Interior and authorities of prison, where he was lodged, were completely silent about his release and deportation to India.

After hearing this, Justice Khan asked ditional Attorney General to explain how would y keep prisoner in jail after completion of his term.

An officer, representing interior ministry, informed court that a prisoner could be kept for one month while legal documents were being prepared.

After kwing legal position, court directed ministry to make all arrangements within a month for releasing and deportation of prisoner.