Pakistani officials to visit Tihar to ascertain nationality claim

Officials of the Pakistan high commission here will visit the Tihar jail on March 30 to ascertain the number of its nationals lodged there and verify their nationality claims.

The high commission had written a letter to the Union home ministry seeking access to the Tihar jail, ministry sources said.

The high commission officials will visit the Tihar jail on March 30 where over 70 prisoners claiming to be Pakistani nationals are now lodged, the sources said.

The sources said the high commission officials will collect all documents and photographs of the prisoners claiming to be Pakistani nationals which they will cross check.

These prisoners belong to the Gowhar Shahi sect, banned by Pakistan government, and kept in Tihar Jail since April 23, 2007, after they staged a demonstration here seeking asylum in India on the ground that their life was at risk in Pakistan.

Home secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan will be held here on March 28 and 29. Ahead of the talks, Pakistani high commissioner to India Shahid Malik had met home secretary GK Pillai yesterday.

Representatives from the United Nations high commissioner for refugees had visited them recently to decide their on their plea for refugee status.