New Delhi:- A total of 518 Indians including 55 civilian prisoners are languishing in various jails in Pakistan, the Government informed the Rajya Sabha today.
Replying to a question, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said the total prisoners included 463 fishermen.
“As per the list exchanged between the governments of India and Pakistan on July 1, there are 518 prisoners who are Indian or believed to be Indian in Pakistani jails,” he said.
About incidents of attacks on members of the minority community in Bangladesh, Singh said India was closely monitoring the situation, adding Bangladeshi authorities have conveyed that their investigations into past attacks suggest that these are the handiwork of local radical and terrorists outfits.
To a question on 39 Indians abducted by ISIS in June 2014, Singh said government was actively following up the case and taking all necessary steps to secure their release.
The Minister, to a separate question, said a total of 22,286 Indians died in 110 countries from 2013-2015.
Asked whether a group of Indian students were sent back by the US authorities in spite of having valid visas, the Minister said there were instances of denial of entry by the US Immigration department to Indians holding valid visas.
“According to the US government, these students has presented information to the Border Patrol agent which was inconsistent with visa status,” he said adding, “No instance of discriminatory treatment towards Indian students by the US authorities has come to notice of the government.”
Replying to another query, the Minister said an agreement between India and the US on development of an International Expedited Traveller Initiative will facilitate expedited entry of pre-approved Indian travellors upon arrival in the US.
Asked whether the Indo-US Joint Statement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US implied a right wing shift in India’s foreign policy undermining its long standing position of independence from any military alliance, Singh replied in negative.
“There is no change in India’s long-standing policy of not joining any military alliance. The Joint Statement issued during the visit of Prime Minister to the US is also based on this fundamental tenet of our foreign policy,” he said.
PTI
