M A I N   N E W S

Pak refuses to free Indian Sikhs

Islamabad, March 27
Pakistan today refused India’s request to release a group of Indian Sikhs jailed for entering illegally from Iran, a Foreign Ministry official said. “There are 20 or 22 Indian Sikhs who entered Pakistan without any papers and obviously they were apprehended by the immigration authorities,” said Jalil Abbas Jillani, who was Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner to India before being expelled in February.

 Mr Jillani said the Indian Sikhs would be investigated and could face trial. They had been given access to Indian consular officials, he said. Mr Jillani dismissed allegations from an Indian Sikh organisation that they were being pressured to convert to Islam. “This is absolutely false that they are being forced to convert,” Mr Jillani said. AP