RAHIM YAR KHAN (Kashmir English): A Pakistani national, Asghar Ali, has finally returned his hometown in Sadiqabad after serving 25 years in prison in India, where he was incarcerated after inadvertently crossing the border while hunting in 2000.
Asghar Ali received a warm welcome from local residents. His release came after a protracted legal battle that culminated in an Indian Supreme Court order.
A resident of Chak 170-P near Sadiqabad, Ali mistakenly wandered into Indian territory in 2000 while hunting. He was promptly detained by Indian security forces and charged with terrorism and espionage.
Initially sentenced to imprisonment until 2010, his detention was significantly extended when new, allegedly fabricated charges of orchestrating an attack from jail were brought against him just as he was due for release.
Following years of continued legal struggle, Ali appealed to the Indian Supreme Court, which accepted his plea and ordered his release.
Upon his emotional return to Chak 170-P after a quarter-century, Ali was greeted by a grand welcome. Speaking to the media, he detailed the severe physical and mental torture he endured in Indian jails, including repeated beatings.
Jailed on false charges
He maintained his innocence, asserting that he was imprisoned on false charges simply for mistakenly crossing the border.
