After completing sentence in 2016, two Pak women, 11-year-old await return to homeland

By Aseem Bassi

Amritsar (Punjab) [India], September 8 (ANI): As two Pakistani women and a 11-year-old girl, born in Amritsar jail, continue to stay in a transit camp of Amritsar Central Jail even after completing their sentences, their advocate has approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to ensure freedom of the trio, especially the 11-year-old girl Hina, who is in jail without any fault.

The two Pakistani women, Fatima Bibi and Mumtaz, were nabbed in 2006 at Amritsar's Attari Railway Station with some contraband and were awarded ten years of sentence by the court.

As Fatima Bibi was pregnant at the time of arrest, she gave birth to Hina in India.

After completing their term in 2016, the women, along with the child, are yet to return to their homeland Pakistan, as they are waiting for a required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the State Government.

Recently, a Pakistani Embassy staff member visited the jail and ensured all help to the trio.

As a fine of Rs four lakh was also imposed on the two women, it was paid by an NGO named Sab Da Bhala.

Had the fine not been paid, the Pakistani nationals would have spent additional two years in jail.

Awaiting the State Government's NOC, the trio is in transit camp of the jail.

Advocate Navjot Kaur Chabba, who is fighting the case for the two women, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention and especially, stressing that Hina is in jail for no fault of hers.

Talking to ANI, Advocate Navjot Kaur Chabba said, "Both Fatima Bibi and Mumtaz, who are sisters, have completed their sentence and 11-year-old Hina is also staying with them in the transit camp of the jail. I have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the release of the two women and especially Hina who is in custody without a reason." (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI