Rao says hopeful of resolution of Pak prisoner Chishty's case

Islamabad, Jun 23 (PTI) Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama
Rao Thursday said she was hopeful of the resolution of the
case of 80-year-old Pakistani prisoner Khalil Chishty, lodged
in a jail in the north-western Indian city of Ajmer in
connection with a murder case.
Rao, who is here for two-day talks with her Pakistani
counterpart Salman Bashir, said the External Affairs Ministry
was in touch with the government of state of Rajasthan, which
is seized of the matter.
She said she was hopeful that the case would be resolved.
Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, had cleared
the mercy plea of Chishty, following which it was forwarded to
the Governor.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday asked Home
Minister P Chidambaram to examine if the request of a Supreme
Court judge for pardon to Chishty could be considered on
"humanitarian" grounds.
Singh had forwarded to Chidambaram the letter of request
received from Justice Markandeya Katju.
A sessions court in Ajmer had awarded Chishty life
sentence on January 31 this year in a murder case after an
18-year-long trial. He had also filed an appeal in the High
Court but his bail plea was rejected.
Chishty had got involved in a fracas during his visit
to Ajmer in 1992 to meet his ailing mother and in the melee
one person was killed leading to his arrest.
During the trial period, the sessions court, which had
granted him bail after few days of the incident, had ordered
Chishty not to leave Ajmer and he was re-arrested after his
conviction. During the bail period, he spent time at his
brother's farm in Ajmer. PTI PYK
KAP