Prisoners of war (PoWs) - Centre challenges HC order to approach ICJ

The Central Government has challenged an order of Gujarat High Court (HC) to approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Pakistan for not releasing 54 Indian Prisoners of 1971 War in breach of the Simla Agreement.

The Central Government's counsel at HC informed this while replying to a petition that seeks direction to the Central Government to implement the HC order over the issue given in December last year.

The counsel, however, told the court that it would implement the HC order to the extent of giving retirement benefits to all the family members of those prisoners of war (PoWs).

Earlier in December last year, the HC had while acting on a petition by late General Jagjitsingh Aurora, the Indian hero of 1971 war, and other relatives of those prisoners of war stranded in Pakistani jails ordered the Central Government to approach the ICJ against Pakistan for not releasing the 54 prisoners of war in breach of Simla Agreement. The court had also ordered the central government to give retirement benefits to the families of these prisoners of war.

When nothing happened on the HC order, some of the relatives of those prisoners of war who are stranded in Pakistani jails since the 1971 war again approached the HC for the implementation of its orders given in December last year.

The petitioner came up for hearing on Wednesday. And the Central Government counsel – Mehul Vakharia — told the court that they have challenged the HC order to the extent of approaching the ICJ against Pakistan.

Vakharia also informed the court that they will be implementing the HC order on providing retirement benefits to the relatives of the prisoners of war at the earliest.