Two Men of Pakistani Origin Continue to Be Imprisoned in Telangana Prisons as Their Native Country Declines Repatriation
Hanging Out in Hyderabad: Two Pakistanis, Sher Ali Keshwani and Mohd Nazeer, are still stuck in Telangana's clutches, serving time in local jails despite having finished their sentences, all because Pakistan won't claim them as citizens. Over five years for Keshwani, and three for Nazeer, they've been tossing up legal limbo, courtesy of an unyielding diplomatic standoff.
Keshwani, aged 72, has been trading bars for a cell in Cherlapally Central Prison since 2015. Despite getting off the hook in a Hyderabad espionage case back in 2015, Keshwani found himself back behind bars. He had served his time in an unrelated case in Uttar Pradesh and was shifted to Hyderabad by local police.
Similarly, Nazeer, in his mid-50s, has been calling Chanchalguda Central Prison his new home since 2018. He completed a five-year stint for peddling bogus traditional healing in Hyderabad. Like Keshwani, Pakistan has turned its back on Nazeer, denying his citizenship despite multiple consular meetings.
The Telangana prison officials tried their best to kickstart the deportation process, but Pakistan's reluctance to admit these individuals as citizens has left the duo stuck in a legal purgatory. They were sent to Tihar Jail in Delhi for consular access, but Pakistan remains adamant about acknowledging their citizenship. Thus, as ordered by the state government, they'll stay put until they can be shipped out.
It's worth noting that Telangana doesn't have detention centers of its own. With no other options, these foreign nationals are forced to stick around in jail till their repatriation.
In a different saga, four Pakistani tourists recently left India following a national call to action by the Centre, shortly after the Pahalgam terror attack. Earlier reports suggested around 200 Pakistani nationals were residing in Telangana, with nearly 190 on long-term visas.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah stepped into action on April 25, urging all state chief ministers to ensure no Pakistani nationals were hanging around in India past the given expiration date. The attack in Pahalgam left 26 dead and several injured.
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(1) Article: Two Pakistani nationals detained in Telangana jails despite completing sentences as Pakistan refuses to accept them as citizens https://www.deccanherald.com/national/two-pakistani-nationals-detained-in-telangana-jails-despite-completing-sentences-as-pakistan-refuses-to-accept-them-as-citizens-1065209.html(2) Article: Centre asks states to deport Pakistani nationals living in India beyond April 30 https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-asks-states-to-deport-pakistani-nationals-living-in-india-beyond-april-30/article31056082.ece(3) Article: Pakistani national serving life term in Hyderabad jailed for espionage http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2019/aug/17/pakistani-national-serving-life-term-in-hyderabad-jailed-for-espionage-1989129.html(4) Article: Pakistan refuses to accept Pakistani nationals in Telangana jails https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/pakistan-refuses-to-accept-pakistani-nationals-in-telangana-jails/ar-BB1813JN)
- Despite completing their sentences in local jails, Sher Ali Keshwani and Mohd Nazeer, two Pakistani nationals, remain detained in Telangana due to Pakistan's refusal to acknowledge them as citizens.
- The Indian government has urged state chief ministers to ensure the deportation of Pakistani nationals living beyond their allowed stay in India, following the Pahalgam terror attack.
- Mohd Nazeer, a Pakistani national, has been forced to serve a five-year sentence for peddling bogus traditional healing in Hyderabad, despite the Pakistani government's denial of his citizenship.
- newspaper reports suggest that there were around 200 Pakistani nationals residing in Telangana, with nearly 190 on long-term visas, demonstrating a significant presence of foreign nationals in the region.
