Delhi, November 21: Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday said that two Indian nationals had inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan in 2016-17. He said that the Pakistan officials were informed about it and India got no response from them. "The sudden announcement of arrest is a matter of surprise to us," Raveesh said while requesting for immediate consular access. Andhra Man Who Wanted to Go to Switzerland to Meet Girlfriend Arrested in Pakistan For 'Spying'.

"The sudden announcement of arrest is a matter of surprise to us. We hope that these two Indian nationals (Prashant & Bari Lal) are not used or they do not become the victim of Pakistani propaganda. We have approached the govt of Pakistan and requested for immediate consular access," the MEA spokesperson said. Indian National, Allegedly Operating As Pakistani Spy, Arrested by BSF in Ferozepur.

Pakistani authorities on Monday had produced two Indian nationals- Prasanth Vaindam and Bari (Wari) Lal- in the court for illegally entering the country without any legal documentation. According to Pakistani media, Prasanth and Bari were apprehended from Yazman Mandi in Bahawalpur for illegally entering Pakistan.

The Indian government had informed Pakistan's Foreign Ministry about the possibility of the two Indian having inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan. According to reports in May, the Indian high commission had informed that Prasanth Vaindan may have crossed into Pakistan. The high commission also demanded consular access but there was no response from Pakistan.

On November 2019, the Indian High Commission again wrote to Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs and asked for consular access to four people who may have crossed over into Pakistan. These included Bari Lal, Ramdas, and Jassi Singh. The Indian authorities were pursuing the case of Bari (Wari) Lal since December 2018.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2019 04:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).