New Delhi:
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna committed a faux pas in Parliament on Thursday. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Krishna got confused about a Pakistani prisoner Dr Chishti, who is in currently lodged in jail in Rajasthan.
Mr Krishna said, ''Pakistan's foreign minister came to our country, we spoke about it (Chisti case). I am sure that the government of Pakistani will take a lenient view in chases where innocent people have been taken into jail, like the person from Ajmer in Pakistan. We will certainly look into it.''
At this point, senior CPM leader Brinda Karat said, "The minister has not understood the question properly, Dr Chisti is in a jail in Rajasthan.
Dr Khalil Chishti, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment, has filled a mercy plea. The mercy plea, was cleared by the Rajsthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and is now lying on the Rajasthan Governor's table.
Given his failing health, Dr Chishti's daughter Amna, and human rights activists are pressing for his early release. Any further delay, they say, is a complete denial of natural justice to the 80-year-old scientist.
Chishti has been imprisoned in India for two decades now.