A joint India-Pakistani judicial panel which visited three Indian jails to interact with Pakistani prisoners has recommended, among others, that India release 55 Pakistani prisoners who have completed their terms.
According to an informed source, the joint judicial committee came up with five recommendations after visiting Pakistani prisoners in jails in Amritsar, Jaipur and Delhi.
The panel interacted with around 58 prisoners in Amritsar last week, in Tihar Jail they interacted with around 124 prisoners while at the Jaipur jail they interacted with 178 Pakistani prisoners, including fishermen, the source told IANS.
The panel has made five recommendations: the security of Pakistani prisoners should be increased, they should be provided legal aid, they should be provided consular access as per protocol within 100 days, the mentally challenged prisoners should be placed in appropriate institutions and those Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentence should be released.
The panel has handed over a list of 55 Pakistani prisoners who have completed their terms, the source added.
"This should be done as a pure humanitarian issue, as a goodwill gesture," the source said.
The joint committee was formed in January 2007 as part of an agreement between the two countries.
The India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee of Prisoners has visited the three jails in the past as well.
The panel had visited jails in Pakistan, including Lahore's Kot Lakhpat prison, to study the condition of Indian inmates there.
