Indonesian president to consider terminally ill Pakistani prisoner’s return
January 26, 2018
ISLAMABAD: Indonesian President Joko Widodo has assured President Mamnoon Hussain of considering, on humanitarian grounds, the return of terminally ill Pakistani prisoner Zulfiqar Ali to his country.
During a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, the Indonesian president said Ali’s case was subjudice. However, Widodo said, he would respect Pakistan's wish and consider the request.
The Indonesian president arrived in Pakistan earlier on Friday. The head of state and his wife were received by the president and senior government officials at Nur Khan Airbase in Chaklala, Rawalpindi.
Earlier, Ali’s mother had appealed to the Pakistani government for the return of her son from Indonesia.
“Even the doctors have told him that he doesn’t have much time,” said the mother while speaking on Geo News show Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath.
A father of five from Mughalpura area of Lahore, 53-year-old Ali has been languishing in an Indonesian prison for almost 14 years. He was arrested in 2004, charged with possession of 300 grammes of heroin, and sentenced to death.
His lawyers say he is innocent and have alleged serious violations of due process at every stage of the trial and appeal process.
“After being detained for nearly 14 years for a wrongful conviction, Zulfiqar may die in prison while waiting to be executed,” said the Justice Project Pakistan, a human rights organisation providing legal counsel for vulnerable Pakistani prisoners.
Doctors have estimated Ali's life expectancy to be three months.
“His attending physician confirmed last month that Zulfiqar has been suffering from cancer in both lobes of the liver. He is also suffering from chronic liver cirrhosis and Diabetes Mellitus,” the JPP said in a press release.
Ali was scheduled to be executed in July 2016, but received a last-minute reprieve after diplomatic intervention by the Pakistani government and pressure from human rights groups. But he remains on death row.
