PESHAWAR: Relatives and family members of prisoners languishing in Chinese jails staged a protest demonstration here on Wednesday demanding the government of Pakistan to play its due role in their release.
They were gathered outside the Peshawar press club asking the federal government to take immediate steps for the release of their loved one.
The protesters were holding placards inscribed with slogans against the government for failure to release prisoners despite signing exchange of prisoner’s agreement with China government. They were asking the federal government to raise the issue with Chinese officials and release the Pakistani men.
The protestors revealed that the government of Pakistan has already signed the exchange of prisoners agreement with the government of China, therefore, the government should play its role and talk with Chinese officials to release Pakistani prisoners.
The protestors said that in 2018, chief justice of Pakistan has promised that he will talk about Pakistan prisoners during his visit to China. However, despite the passage of seven months, the issue has never been addressed. The protesters said that while the government has solved a number of issues with China, the issue of prisoners is still lingering on.
The protesters alleged that the Pakistani prisoners in China prisons are deprived of basic facilities and human rights. They added that due to the unavailability of basic human rights, they are passing lives in a difficult situation. The protestors accused the Chinese government that neither their relatives are allowed to meet their loved one, nor the prisoners have religious freedom inside jails.
The protestors said that there are no doctors and medical facilities available due to which most of the prisoners have lost lives inside the jail cell. They asked the government to have mercy on their prisoners and make efforts to release all the prisoners and fulfil the promises made with the families of prisoners.
The protestors asked the government to arrange meetings of their family members with relatives imprisoned in Chines jails.
