Six Pakistani prisoners leave Lanka under offenders' transfer deal

COLOMBO: Six Pakistanis jailed here for drug trafficking will be sent to Pakistan under the agreement for the transfer of offenders signed in 2004.

A statement from the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo said that under an agreement for the transfer of offenders signed in 2004, the Sri Lanka Government had agreed to transfer the six Pakistani nationals arrested, tried and convicted in drug cases. They will leave for Pakistan today.

The prisoners will be received in Karachi by the Pakistani Immigration Authorities.

They will be later handed over to prison officials of the Home Department of Sindh to complete the remaining term of their imprisonment. The prisoners are Shamim Ahmed, Muhammad Tariq, Arshad Mahmood, Syed Imran Ali, Shakeel Ahmed Siddique and Abdul Rasheed.

The prisoners have thanked President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Sri Lankan Government for allowing their transfer.

They also thanked Pakistan High Commissioner Bashir Wali Mohmaned.