Gopal Dass, the Indian prisoner whose jail term was remitted by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on March 27, will return to India on Thursday — 27 years after he was picked up by the Pakistani authorities for apparently straying into their side of the border.
Official sources said that Mr. Dass would be handed over to the Indian High Commission officials.
His jail term was remitted by Mr. Zardari as per the recommendation of the federal government “to honour” the Supreme Court of India's appeal to Pakistan to that effect earlier in March on humanitarian grounds.
A two-Judge bench of the Supreme Court made this appeal while disposing of a writ petition filed in 2008 by Mr. Dass through his brother.
Pakistani records show that Mr. Dass was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 1987 and was due to be released by the end of this year under the law.
He was arrested in July 1984 after apparently crossing the border by mistake. The Centre had told the court that Mr. Dass was to complete his 25-year sentence on June 26 this year.
The Presidential pardon came amidst the bonhomie over cricket but the delay in releasing Mr. Dass raised speculation about the Punjab government — headed by the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) — dragging its feet to embarrass Mr. Zardari.
