Turkish authorities have finally released the jailed Pakistani youth who was arrested for carrying packets of chalia and supari (betel nut) in September this year.
In this regard, a court in Istanbul granted a release order for the 26-year-old resident of Lahore, Muhammad Awais. The development comes after Pakistan Consulate took up the matter with the Turkish authorities.
Awais was jailed on 15 September in Turkey over the charges of carrying two packets of betel nuts as a gift for his tour operator there.
However, the Turkish police took him into custody without any probe at the airport and produced him before the court, which sent him to jail.
Furthermore, Awais’ brother, Muhammad Shoaib, had said that Awais informed the Turkish authorities that it was merely a mouth freshener and he did not know it was illegal in the country and yet they imprisoned him.
In addition, he said that Awais was a cardiac patient and has a wife and a daughter in Pakistan, and he would not risk his whole family for something that was not even worth a hundred rupees.
Moreover, his brother’s harmless case had cost them around Rs. 1.5 million in lawyers’ fees and pursuing it further was financially difficult for them, he added
Also, Pakistan Consulate officials in Istanbul had confirmed the arrest of several other Pakistanis over the same charges and revealed that a few of them were given harsh sentences by the Turkish courts.
Hum jisy lajawab kehtey hyn.