India on Thursday asked Pakistan to provide consular access to two of its nationals Islamabad has arrested and sought their safe repatriation. The arrest of two Indians, Prashant Vaindam and Dhari Lal, as reported by Pakistani media, came as a surprise as India had informed Pakistan months back that they may have crossed over inadvertently, External Affairs Ministry (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said here at a briefing.
Kumar said India had informed Pakistan in December last about Lal’s possible crossing over to that country, while information about Vaindam was conveyed in May 2019.
“We hope that these two Indian nationals do not become victims of Pakistani propaganda,” Kumar said.
Following the reports in Pakistani media about the arrests, India approached Pakistan and requested it for immediate consular access to the incarcerated Indians there.
“We also requested for their safety and security and also early repatriation,” he said.
“Since then, we did not get any response to our note verbale,” he said.
The duo was apprehended in the eastern city of Bahawalpur in Punjab of Pakistan.
The MEA hoped that the arrested Indians do not become victims of Pakistani propaganda. Pakistan is known to fabricate adverse evidence against arrested Indians, brands them either terrorist or spy, and even awards death penalty through sham trial by their military courts without the accused being given consular access or legal rights to defend themselves, according to sources.
The case of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav is a case in point where he was awarded death sentence by a Pakistani military court without him being given consular access. On India’s petition, the International Court of Justice had ruled that Pakistan must give consular access to Jadhav and review the death penalty order.
On April 10, 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial in Pakistan. The International Court of Justice on July 17 this year rejected India’s appeal for Jadhav’s release but ordered Pakistan to suspend the execution. The ICJ had ruled that Pakistan will have to review the entire process of trial and conviction of Jadhav and provide India with consular access.
The arrested accused are not tried in civilian court as the same will attract media glare and expose Pakistan’s duplicity in planting evidence against such Indian citizens.
On Monday, Pakistani authorities had produced two Indian nationals in court for entering Pakistan without legal travel documents. While Vaindan hails from Hyderabad, Telangana, Lal is a resident of Madhya Pradesh.
Vaindan had been missing since April 29, 2017 and India had officially informed Pakistan Foreign Ministry as early as May this year sharing photographs and other personal details. Vaindan’s family had even lodged complaint with the police in Hyderabad. India had also informed Pakistan besides Vaindan, Lal could also have inadvertently entered Pakistan.