JPP welcomes first repatriation of prisoners from Sri Lanka in 7 years

ISLAMABAD – Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) is delighted at the repatriation of 44 Pakistani prisoners from Sri Lanka who will now serve their remaining sentences at home where their families will be able to visit them. The plane carrying these prisoners landed in Islamabad early on Wednesday.

This is the first repatriation in seven years under the bilateral prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) signed by the two countries in 2004. JPP commends the efforts of the Ministry of Interior, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, and the Pakistani High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Muhammad Saad Khattak for their commitment and dedication to protect the best interests of overseas Pakistanis in foreign jails.

Timeline

03 August 2002 – Transfer of Offenders Ordinance, 2002 issued, allowing repatriation of prisoners whose sentences exceed six months of imprisonment
12 January 2004 – Pakistan and Sri Lanka sign bilateral prisoner transfer agreement
12 August 2012 – 20 Pakistani prisoners including two women shifted to Pakistan to serve their remaining sentences
02 September 2013 – 72 Pakistani prisoners repatriated from Sri Lanka and Thailand
16 March 2015 – Pakistan suspends prisoner transfer treaties with other countries
17 November 2017 – Supreme Court of Pakistan rules that local laws apply to convicts transferred to Pakistan
06 June 2018 – Supreme Court of Pakistan directs the government to speed up the process of repatriation of Pakistani prisoners from Sri Lanka and other countries
11 July 2018 – Sri Lankan President announces lifting 42-year moratorium on capital punishment for drug offences
20 February 2019 – Supreme Court of Pakistan directs the government to restore prisoners transfer agreements
20 November 2019 – The National Assembly’s Sub-Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development decides to discuss prisoner transfer agreements in detail

The repatriation is a result of rigorous diplomatic engagement with the friendly nation. Pakistanis imprisoned abroad can be repatriated through bilateral agreements to transfer prisoners, allowing them to serve their remaining sentences closer to their families.

According to official numbers, 87 Pakistanis were imprisoned in Sri Lanka for various crimes. There are now 43 prisoners still incarcerated in the island country. Currently, there are more than 11,000 Pakistanis imprisoned abroad.

Pakistanis imprisoned abroad are at the mercy of local courts without access to lawyers, impartial translators, or consular assistance from Pakistani diplomatic missions. These Pakistanis face the harshest punishments in foreign  courts due to their lack of understanding of and assistance with the legal process, incapability to communicate directly with the court, and inability to produce evidence from Pakistan in their defense.

Ali Haider Habib, spokesperson of Justice Project Pakistan, adds: To be imprisoned in a foreign land surrounded by people who do not speak your language or share your culture is a harrowing experience. Imagine living through that during a worldwide pandemic.

The repatriation of these prisoners show the Pakistani government’s renewed commitment to safeguard the rights of overseas Pakistanis. Last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan requested Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to release Pakistanis imprisoned in the Kingdom on grounds of compassion, leading to the latter promising the release of 2,107 Pakistanis. The promise is yet to be fulfilled.