Relatives of Indian Prisoners of War (POWs), currently on a visit to Pakistan, have presented evidence of their existence to the Pakistan media.
ISLAMABAD: Hoping to find their missing family members, relatives of Indian Prisoners of War (POWs), currently on a visit to Pakistan, have presented evidence of their existence to the media here.
The 14-member delegation of the relatives of POWs before leaving for Karachi yesterday showed documents to the media to prove that their loved ones were captured and present in Pakistan.
Fifty four men were scheduled to be released or exchanged in the third phase of prisoner exchange between India and Pakistan, but were somehow not returned, they said.
Since then, there was no official information about the prisoners, while Pakistani governments had repeatedly denied having the 54 men in custody, the relatives added.
The Pakistani government, in official letters and announcements, has denied the presence of the 54 men in its jails.
But President Pervez Musharraf allowed the delegation to visit jails in the country on humanitarian grounds. The delegation visited Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore and visited central prison in Karachi.
Evidence compiled by the relatives of the Indian soldiers consists of letters, radio announcements and reference from books proving their capture, the Daily Times reported.
They plan to present the evidence to Musharraf if and when their request for an interview him materialises during their current visit.
Among those the relatives believe to be Pakistani jails are Capt Giriraj Singh, Capt Kamal Bakshi, Flight Lt V V Tambay and Flying officer Sudhir Tyagi.
According to the relatives, Mukhtayar Singh, who was repatriated from Pakistan on July 5, 1988, said Capt Singh was still in Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Singh also reportedly saw Capt Kamal Bakhshi in Mu1tan Jail in 1983. He said Bakhshi could either be in Multan Jail or Bahawalpur Jail. There are numerous other such eyewitness reports, Singh's relatives believe.
Flight Lt VV Tambay's name was published in the Pakistani newspaper Sunday Pakistan Observer on December 5, 1971, as Flight Lt Tombay.
It is reported that five Indian pilots were captured. Pakistan did not include his name in the list of POWs and the Indian government forgot to secure his release, they said.
Daljit Singh, repatriated on March 4, 1988, said he had seen Flight Lt Tambay at the Lahore interrogation centre in February 1978. His wife Damayahti Tambay is part of the delegation.
The name of Flying Officer Sudhir Tyagi, whose plane was shot down near Peshawar on December 4, 1971, was announced over Pakistan Radio the next day.
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