NewsGate Press Network

Two significant points were made by MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi during his weekly presser held on Friday the 7th of October 2022.

Six Indian prisoners have died in Pakistani custody in the last nine months, Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday describing the situation “alarming”.

Bagchi added that all the six prisoners had completed their sentences in Pakistani jails but they were illegally kept in detention by Pakistan.

The MEA also requested the Pakistan government to release and repatriate all Indian prisoners immediately.

“This is an ongoing problem but what we understand is that there have been an increasing number of deaths of fishermen in recent times. Six Indian prisoners, I think five of them were fishermen, have died in Pakistani custody in the last 9 months. All six, interestingly, had completed their sentences but they were illegally detained by Pakistan inspite of multiple demands from the Indian side of release and repatriation,” said MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

“This increasing incidents of death of Indian prisoners is alarming and raises the question of their safety and security in Pakistani jails. The matter has been raised by our High Commission in Islamabad as well as with the Pakistani High Commission here,” Bagchi added.

Reiterating the Indian demand to release of Indian prisoners, the MEA spokesperson said that Pakistan is duty-bound to ensure the safety and security of all Indian prisoners in its custody.

“We request the Pakistan government to once again release and repatriate all Indian prisoners immediately,” he said.

On July 1 this year, Pakistan shared a list of 682 Indian prisoners, including fishermen, lodged in various jails of Pakistan, while India also shared a similar list of 461 Pakistani prisoners in Indian custody which also includes terrorists.

This was done as part of a routine practice between the two countries under the provisions of a 2008 agreement.

And secondly on the question of India remaining absent during a vote on Uyghur in UNHCR, MEA categorically stated that human rights of the people of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China should be respected and guaranteed.

“The human rights of the people of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region should be respected and guaranteed. We hope that the relevant party will address the situation objectively and properly,” Arindam Bagchi said.

It may be recalled that on Thursday the 6th of October 2022, India had abstained from voting on the human rights situation in China’s Xinjiang at the United Nations.

“India’s vote at UNHRC is in line with its long held position that country specific resolutions are never helpful. India favours a dialogue to deal with such issues,” Bagchi said clarifying on India’s abstention.

We hope that the relevant party will address the situation objectively and properly, he said adding “India remains committed to all human rights.”

The MEA’s comments came amid criticism from Opposition parties on India’s abstention.

Opposition parties slammed the stand taken by the government at the UN by saying India should speak for what is right and should not be afraid of its neighbour.

This is the first time that India has directly called for respecting the human rights of the people of Xinjiang province of China.