Hamid Nihal Ansari, an Indian citizen who spent three years in a Pakistani jail after he was arrested on the charges of espionage in 2012, is set to return home on Tuesday, 18 December.
Dr Khalid Ansari, Hamid’s relative, said it was a day of celebration and that they do not want to “look into the past.”
Ansari’s mother, Fauzia Nehal Ahmed Ansari, who is eagerly awaiting his homecoming, said his release was a “victory for humanity.”
“He went with noble intentions, but initially went missing and was later caught and framed. He shouldn’t have gone without a visa. His release is a victory for humanity,” said Fauzia, speaking to ANI.
His father, Nihal Ansari, thanked both the Indian and Pakistani governments for their efforts.
"We are thankful to the government of India and Pakistan as well for every effort... Our family is waiting for Hamid," his father said.
Hamid Ansari, arrested in Pakistan in 2012, will reach home via Wagah border, reportedly on Tuesday afternoon.
The 33-year-old Mumbai resident was lodged in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by a military court to three years’ imprisonment for possessing a fake Pakistani identity card on 15 December 2015.
He was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering the country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online.
His jail term ended on 15 December but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents were not ready.
Earlier this month, Peshawar High Court granted the Pakistan government a month’s deadline to complete his repatriation process.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
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