Cabinet okays treaty on transfer of prisoners with Qatar

The union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tuesday approved the signing of a treaty on transfer of sentenced people between India and Qatar.

The treaty will allow Indian prisoners imprisoned in Qatar or vice-versa to be near their families, for serving the remaining part of their sentence and facilitate their social rehabilitation, said an official statement.

The Indian community in Qatar is the single-largest expatriate group. According to the foreign ministry, at the end of 2012, the number of Indians there was estimated at close to 500,000, approximately 26 percent of Qatar's population of 1.9 million.

India has so far signed such agreements with more than 20 countries, including Britain, Egypt, France, Bangladesh, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Russia and Australia. Negotiations have also been concluded with Canada, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Spain, it said.