|
Opinion
|
| Release of Hamid Ansari from Pakistani Jail By Col NN Bhatia (Retd) | | | |  Mrs Fauzia N Ansari is a lecturer in Junior college in Mumbai. Her husband Nihal Ansari, is a retired banker living in Mumbai. Ansaris’ elder son, Dr Khalid Ansari is a practicing oral dental surgeon and their second son Hamid Ansari, now 37 yrs, who is IT Engineer + M B A, being the Rotract President (Rotary President under 30 years age), associated with the UN as a volunteer member entered Pakistan via Afghanistan without proper documents to meet and help a Face book female friend who was in despair on 12 Nov 2012. He went missing for 3 & 1/2 years. In January 2016, it was declared by the Pakistan’s Peshawar High Court that Hamid Ansari was in MI custody
In February 2016, he was court martialed and awarded 3 years RI punishment for alleged false charges of espionage. In spite of having finished his punishment, he is still in prison and was attacked several times just for being an Indian.
Mrs Fauzia Ansari, as the desperate mother did everything within her reach to get her innocent son back but to no avail. She had written several letters and met personally to Minister of External Affairs in Delhi, many more high ranking officials, Pakistan High Commission, NHRC, UN, PMO, Government of Pakistan running from pillar to post, having not left any stone unturned but her despair and wait remains like unanswered prayers.
Hamid was in contact via face book with some friends in Pakistan namely -Attaur Rahman, Saba Khan, Abdulla Zaid Khatak, Humaira Hanif and Dr Shazia Khan. Among them was a tribal girl Nadia of Kohat with whom he was more close to him who was victim of a social evil ‘WANI’ and was forced to accept a Jirga (Tribal Leader) decision as compensation of family rivalry. This news was published in “Daily Express” dated 22 May 2012. She shared her story with Hamid. Having sympathy for her and also on humanitarian ground Hamid became determined to help her.
Hamid was not getting visa, and time was running short to rescue his friend from getting her life ruined. On advice of his above friends, he reached Pakistan without proper documents on 12.11.2012 and stayed with Attaur Rehman, who kept Hamid in his house for 2 days and demanded from Hamid money. Not getting the money from Hamid, Attaur Rehman shifted Hamid to a Hotel Palwasha in Kohat, Pakistan on 14 Nov 2012. Within one hour, the local Police had picked Hamid from the hotel. His whereabouts were not known since then.
A habeas corpus petition was filed in the Peshawar High Court. The petition was last heard in Peshawar High Court on 13 Jan 2016. The Honourable Court had declared that, “as per the report submitted by DAG, Hamid Ansari was in the custody of Military of Pakistan.”He was court martialled by the Military Court and got RI punishment for 3 years for the alleged charges of espionage (not proved). Hamid has already completed 3 & 1/2 years in custody.
Hamid is kept in Peshawar Central jail, is in extreme difficult condition. He had been attacked thrice by jail mates and also beaten. He hasn’t been provided consular access yet. He is neither allowed to talk to his parents nor are the parents getting visa to reach him to help.
His lawyer in Pakistan is a senior lawyer and a human rights activist who had filed a fresh petition for clemency of the period spent in custody to be considered US 328-B Cr. Pc. On 1 Nov 2016, this petition was also disposed off from the Peshawar High court, as it was the Military Court decision and the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan to release Hamid on Humanitarian Ground.
I request Pakistani Government that as innocent victim of honey trapping so much prevalent world over, Hamid Ansari who is the Indian citizen and has completed his punishment period be released on humanitarian grounds and end the suffering of his desperate old parents. Like India grants visa on humanitarian grounds for the treatments of so many Pakistani citizens suffering from serious ailments, Pakistan I Government should reciprocally be generous enough to release all prisoners of the likes of Hamid Ansari. I plead to our Indian Government to reciprocate similarly to end miseries of Pakistani families whose kith & kin may be languishing in Indian jails after having completed their imprisonments. Any Pakistani citizen who can help Fauzia Ansari, mother of Hamid Ansari may contact her on +91 9757116047 & 9869455886 or the author on narindrabhatia@hotmail.com or through 'Aman Ki Asha'. | | | | |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|