India's Supreme Court expressed shock on Friday that more than 250 Pakistanis were being held in Indian jails without ever having faced trial, with at least one behind bars since 1965. The court, hearing a public interest case filed by a member of the public, ordered the central government to file a comprehensive report explaining the detentions.
"It's shocking that over 254 Pakistani nationals are languishing in jails without a trial," said Supreme Court judge R.N. Lodha. The inmates are being held in the north-western state of Jammu and Kashmir, with many thought to be people arrested after unwittingly crossing the disputed border in the area, the court heard. Four are women.
It is thought that there may be inmates held without trial in other states too. The prime ministers of India and Pakistan said Thursday they expected to open a "new chapter" in their fractious relationship after talks at a regional summit in the Maldives. The countries have fought three wars since independence in 1947.
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