RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4332
TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.04.2018
REPATRIATION OF MENTALLY CHALLENGED PRISONERS
4332. SHRI K. R. ARJUNAN:
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether India and Pakistan have agreed to facilitate visits of medical experts to meet and examine the mentally challenged prisoners for their repatriation;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether Pakistan has agreed to examine positively all the proposals that India has recently forwarded to them on humanitarian issues; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V.K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) to (d) The External Affairs Minister, in October 2017, suggested to the High Commissioner of Pakistan that the two sides could work together to resolve humanitarian issues related to elderly, women and mentally unsound prisoners in each other’s custody
and consider their early release and repatriation. It was, inter alia, proposed that a team of medical experts could be allowed to visit the mentally unsound prisoners with a view to facilitate their nationality verification and subsequent repatriation. The
External Affairs Minister also suggested revival of the Joint Judicial Committee which looked into the issues of fishermen and prisoners in each other’s custody and had last met in October 2013.
The Government of Pakistan, on 7 March 2018, responded positively to the suggestion.
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