Zardari urged to seek Dr Chishti’s release

Daughter of Pakistani national Dr Syed Mohammed Khaleel Chishty, who is serving life imprisonment in a Ajmer jail, has written to president Asif Ali Zardari to talk to Indian authorities about release of his 80-year-old ailing father.

•  Dr. Chishty is a highly educated law abiding citizen of Pakistan, besides acquiring B.Sc Honors and M.Sc in Microbiology in 1959 from Karachi University, he has the distinction of being Ph.D from Edinburgh University Scotland and additional degrees of M.I. Biology as well as F.R.S.H from London University.He has been professor in the universities of Karachi, Nigeria, King Abdul Aziz University Jeddah and Tebrez, Iran, etc. All his six children are also highly educated law abiding citizens.

•  In 1992 he visited India to see his ailing mother. During his stay with his brother in Ajmer, he was falsely implicated in a case of riots, with obvious mischievous and mala fide motives since he was a Pakistani. He had succeeded in getting released on bail, but he was not allowed to return to Pakistan since 1992. This case remained pending for about 19 years. In December 2010, my old and ailing father was unfortunately convicted under Section 302 and sentenced for 14 years. My father is currently in Ajmer prison hospital since January 2011 and he is in a very precarious condition as necessary medical treatment is not available to him.

•  My father’s case is well documented in India and the Government of India including the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Mr. Chidambaram and Governor of Rajasthan Mr. Shivraj Patil are aware of the case. In 2011 my father’s  mercy petition was cleared by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan Mr. Ashok Gehlot and sent to the Governor of Rajasthan Mr. Shivraj Patil for final approval, however it has still not been signed and my father continues to suffer in prison.