Indian prison mate of President Zardari seeks his audience
Mehbooh Ilahi, a former Indian spy, who had spent some time with President Asif Ali Zardari, as an inmate at Karachi Central Jail, showed keen interest in meeting the Pakistani president during his visit to India, according to a news report published in The Hindu.
According to The Hindu, Ilahi aimed to meet President Zardari, in order to highlight the predicaments and plights of prisoners of war who live in inhumane conditions in the prisons of both the countries.
The report also cites that Ilahi had written to Shahid Malik, Pakistan High Commissioner in India, and President Pratibha Patil requesting both the officials to assist him in seeking appointment with President Zardari.
Ilahi is a 52-year-old man who has spent over 20 years in various Pakistani jails since 1977, after he was accused of spying for India in Pakistan. He claims to have stayed with the president of Pakistan for two to three months in Karachi.
Ilahi recalls the magnanimity of various Pakistani leaders including the president who offered him coffee and other eatables.
Ilahi wants to direct President Zardari’s attention towards different prisoners of war who have completed their term in the jail however have not yet been released. He requests the president to expedite their release.