Dr Khalil Chisti gets interim bail

In what appeared to be a first positive gesture of President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to India, the Indian Supreme Court on Monday granted interim bail to 80-year-old Pakistani microbiologist Khalil Chisti during the pendency of his appeal against Rajasthan High Court order maintaining his conviction in a murder case.

Human rights activists had appealed to Pratibha Patil requesting her to grant the release of Dr Mohammed Khalil Chisti, who had applied for bail on the ground that he is 80 years old and has already been in prison for the last 20 years.

The Pakistani doctor also prayed before the court that he be allowed to return to his home town Karachi or be allowed to live in Delhi because of debased family system in Ajmer.

While directing him to surrender his passport, the apex court allowed him to file a fresh application. The court, however, did not permit him to leave Ajmer till further orders.

The Pakistan microbiologist was given a lifetime imprisonment on January 31, 2011 in a case of murder charges. Chisti was born in Ajmer to a well-established family of caretaker of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti shrine.

He was studying in Pakistan at the time of partition in 1947 and didn’t go back to his family in Ajmer till he came to visit his ailing mother in 1992. He allegedly committed a murder after a brawl over some dispute.

Indian media reported on Sunday that the issue of Khalil Chisti figured during the lunch hosted by India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for Pakistan President Asif Zardari, who went Ajmer for a short trip.

According to the reports Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik referred to the issue during his interaction with Home Minister P Chidambaram.

Human Rights Activist Ansar Burney, who is the chairperson of the Ansar Burney Trust International and Seafarers Rights International (UK), welcomed the verdict; offering thanks the Supreme Court for granting bail to Dr Chisti.

Dr Chishti’s nephew expressed hopes that his uncle will be deported to Pakistan soon in view of his poor health.

Chisti had spent 20 days in prison prior to his conviction. Presently unwell, Chisti is lodged in Ajmer’s Prison Hospital.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=18381

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Apr 9 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.