Pak national Warsi leaves for Wagah border on way home

Pakistani national Mohammed Imran Warsi, who is set to be repatriated to his native country after spending 10 years in a Bhopal jail, Monday left for the Wagah border.

Before boarding Shatabdi Express for Delhi, the 40-year-old said that he would first meet his mother after reaching his home country.

"I will meet my mother on reaching Pakistan and then I will contact my wife and children, who are living in Kolkata. I will see how they can be moved to Pakistan," he told reporters.

Warsi hoped that the governments of India and Pakistan would help him in his efforts to take his family to Pakistan.

Mangalwara police station in-charge Umesh Chouhan confirmed Warsi's departure.

"He would be taken to Amritsar from Delhi and then to the Wagah border", he said.

Chouhan said four police personnel are accompanying Warsi, who would be handed over to the BSF (Border Security Force) officials along with the documents.

"We have to hand over Warsi to BSF officials before December 26. Possibly, our officials will do so on December 25", he said.

Warsi, a resident of Karachi, was convicted in 2008 by a court in Bhopal under the Official Secrets Act and the Passport Act.

Among other charges, the court had found him guilty of conspiracy, cheating and forging documents.

He completed his sentence in March this year and has been staying at Bhopal's Shahjahanabad police station ever since as he awaited completion of the legal formalities for his repatriation.

Recalling his time in prison, Warsi had Sunday said he was taking "good memories" of his stay in India to his home country.

Warsi was also grateful to his fellow inmates, who he said had collected money to help him pay a fine imposed by the court.

Warsi had reached Kolkata in 2004 and got married to Shazia, his distant relative.

He lived in Kolkata for four years and the couple had two sons.

He said he came to Bhopal after learning that getting a passport was easy in the city.

He was arrested in 2008 following a complaint by his wife's relatives, who, he claimed, were angry after the couple demanded its share in property.

His repatriation comes close on the heels of that of Mumbai resident Hamid Nihal Ansari, who returned home last week after spending six years in a Pakistani jail on espionage charges.